Winter Mist
by Kelsocspanatarailka
Summary: Jaq is a former Hydra assassin, trying to find the pieces of her past. She and her friends stumble across the Avengers and they aid her journey of discovery. Post-AoU AU. A Pietro lives fanfic. The Avengers didn't split up. Romanogers if you'd like to think that. No Brutasha, sorry. (BuckyxOFC) (WandaxOC) (PietroxOFC) (OCxOFC) Trigger warnings for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Jaq

 _"_ _The target is in position."_

 _"_ _ **Eliminate**_ _."_

 _*Gunshot*_

I snap awake, panting heavily and staring at a wall. It is dawn and my partners sprawl everywhere across the floor of the warehouse, one looking out of the window, one reading a newspaper and the last drinking from a Styrofoam cup of coffee.

"You okay?" Lukis asks me, passing me his cup.

"I'm fine." I breathe. I drink from the cup and hand it back. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Alexandra frowns, glancing at me.

"Shut up." I snap without much heat, and stand up.

"There you are! I was wondering what that other person did to _our_ Jaq." Nina laughs, putting down her newspaper.

"Do we have a mission?" I roll my eyes.

"Yeah. Hydra arms dealer, supplying the chumps in Hell's Kitchen with superior ammunition." Luk passed me a blueprint. "That's his place of business. The Avengers are hitting this place later, since he's Hydra and all."

"So, lemme guess, we're hitting it first?" I grin.

"It would be our greatest joy." Alex smirks. "This is our turf, after all. So let's get dressed. We've got an arms dealer to hit first."

A half-hour later, we are creeping around the back of New York. Me in all white, Luk in all black, Nina in grey, and Alexandra in a brilliant shade of royal blue. When we wear our colors, no parts of our skin show, not even our hands or necks. We all wear masks.

I wear a full face white mask, Alexandra's is a blue New Orleans style masquerade ball half-mask complete with feathers, Nina has an grey old west bandit tie-on mask, and Luk's is a Phantom of the Opera-type black mask covering the entire face except for his mouth and right cheek. We all have weapons tucked everywhere. Once we reach the arms warehouse, Luk looks around. He points out a camera on the tip of the roof. I leap and run, parkour style, up to the camera and spray a masking agent of our own invention on it.

I give them the thumbs up, and Luk strolls majestically across the lot to the door, his knee-length black Phantom cape blowing out behind him. Nina creeps along, using her shadows to hide her, and Alex just struts, wind ruffling the feathers of her wings in their folded position, whistling an unidentifiable tune. We have a flair for the dramatic, not to mention that Luk is completely obsessed with Phantom of the Opera. I come down from the camera and Luk kicks the door open. The warehouse is empty.

I look at Nina and she shrugs. Alex draws an AK 47 from…somewhere on her person, Luk pulls a sawed off shotgun, Nina a box of poisoned darts, and I unsheathe a Beretta M9. We move cautiously through the building, until we get to the largest room in the place, the loading bay. The enormous doors are open and it looks like there's some kind of deal going on. Obviously, it's our civic duty to crash it.

I steady the pistol in my hand and fire a single shot from our corner, knocking the gun from the nearest Hydra boy's hand.

"Cease and desist, or we will be forced to shoot you all." Luk calls out dramatically in his deep, clarion voice. I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. The Hell's Kitchen thugs grab their pants and take off, running away and the Hydra dealer sighs dramatically.

"It's the Shadows." He rolls his eyes. "Find them. Find them and kill them."

Luk grins back at us and we fade away. The Hydra footsoldiers put out a lockdown/all call and more of them pour out of the woodwork like roaches. They pass right by us, and we stand there, watching them run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Finally, ( _finally_ ) two of them find the crate we are behind, but a combo move from Luk takes them down.

I almost hope more will come out, but next thing I know, there is roaring slamming clanging explosions arrows fire rocket booster sounds red mist blue blurs lightning screaming FIRE!

Luk crouches down, I hop on his back, and he runs out of the building like his butt's on fire, which considering the state of the building, it very well could be. Alex can fly, (duh! She has wings, people) so she grabs Nina and whistles outta there like a bullet. And we are stopped by a partial Avenger's cosplay. Just kidding; it's the real thing, and boy, are they pissed.

"Who the hell are you and what were you doing in there?" A woman asks us as Luk lets me down. She is pretty. Pretty recognizable, too. It's the Black Widow.

"We are the Shadows." Luk smiles benevolently, piping his words in that sickeningly stuck-up British accent he has perfected. In real life, he has a faint Russian accent, like me, but the difference is; he actually hails from Russia. Son of immigrants. I'm not Russian, just raised there. Nina is from Colombia and Alexandra is from Britain. "And we're doing your jobs, obviously."

"Don't be a smart Alek." Hawkeye warns, four arrows notched and pointing at our faces. Impressive. "What were you doing there?"

"I'm not being a smart Alek." Luk insists, though I know he was. It's in his nature. "We were busting that arms dealer."

"Oh really?" Tony Stark says, the face plate of his Iron Man suit flipping up. "Why? When did Hydra become your business?"

"He's supplying Hell's Kitchen with more weapons than they have already." Alex frowns. I know this, not because I can see it; but because I know her voice. And I'm an empath. "It's hard enough saving people in there as it is. Besides, Mist has a very personal vendetta against Hydra."

"So do some of us. Get in line." Captain America says with a small smile.

"We know your stories." Nina takes over coldly. "But given the size of each of your grievances, we still think Mist's vendetta is the most urgent, rivalled only by that of the Maximoffs."

"How do you know us?" Pietro demands, zooming up to us. Nina doesn't even flinch at the rush of air and person invading her space.

"We know all of you." Luk smiles down at him from next to Nina; but it isn't a friendly smile.

"Can't 'Mist' speak for…himself?" Stark rolls his eyes. There is a wall behind me. I put my hand to it experimentally, testing the texture. It is a good wall for what I want to do. I turn around, ignoring the puzzlement of Hawkeye, the only Avenger who can fully see me around my friends. I put my left foot onto the wall and push off with my right, launching myself off of the wall and over Luk and Nina's heads. I backflip through the air and land squarely on the front of Stark's suit, driving him to the ground. I sit cross legged on his chest and he is too shocked to do anything but gape. Alex smirks.

"She doesn't like it when people mistake her for a man." She grins down at me.

"You're a girl?" Stark croaks at me, and I ignore him, instead accepting Luk's hand up.

Meanwhile, the rest of the avengers have arrived; Thor, War Machine, Falcon, the Vision, Scarlet Witch, and a pale, shaky Bruce Banner.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to come with us." Captain America says.

"Why?" Luk demands imperiously.

"Because he said so." War Machine opens his faceplate and says, pointing his shoulder cannon at us. "Let's go."

"Don't snap at us." Nina growls. "Your weapons mean nothing."

War Machine rolls his eyes, shutting his helmet and fires off a quick round, much to Captain America's consternation. I can practically feel the bullets coming, but Nina and Luk are there. Luk stands in front of me, shielding me from the bullets, while Nina sends them flying into the spacial dark matter she has collected around herself. Alex is nearly vibrating with fear, and I place my hand on her shoulder. She is deathly afraid of bullets. At my touch, she stops quivering and Luk draws himself to his full height.

"If you ever do that again," He growls, stalking over to War Machine. "I will kill you myself."

He grasps the cannon on the suit and rips it off with one fluid motion. He tosses the now useless piece of metal across the lot. Nina straightens, Alex unfolds her wings, the Avengers get into defensive positions and it looks like we are about to rumble; but Captain America gets between our team and his and looks Luk in the eye.

"Please just come." He says quietly. Luk looks back at me, an unspoken question in his mask's eye slits. I nod once, and Luk turns back to the Captain.

"Fine." He sniffs. "But if anyone else tries to shoot us, we will not be responsible for our actions. We did not come to fight you; only Hydra."

"Alright." The Captain nods desperately. "C'mon."

We follow his beckoning hand, but we get more than a few dirty looks as we follow the Avengers to their jet.


	2. AN 1

Hey guys. if you've just read this story, thank you. I'm Kelsoc. I've been floating around on this site for a while, but I was too nervous to post anything. This is my first story, so constructive criticism is always appreciated. if you have flames, go ahead. I can take it. I truly hope you enjoy this story.


	3. Chapter 2

Jaq

We sit in this jet and, damn, it's awkward. There is an obvious divide between the Avengers and us. I can hear unintelligible whispers, or maybe that's in someone's head. My filter isn't so good. We touch down on the rooftop landing pad of a large building and deplane. The Avengers shed the extemporaneous pieces of their outfits, or in the Iron men's case, their suits themselves and all file into a large conference room; at their sign, we follow.

"Alright." Stark says. "Sit down and let's try this again. First off, who the hell are you?"

"We need your word that our identities won't be disclosed." Luk says icily as we sit.

"Why would we do that?" Stark laughs and Luk's fist clenches on the tabletop. I put my hand over his, and Captain America shakes his head at Stark.

"I think that's the least we can do." Captain America tells Luk.

"Good." Luks says. He nods at me and we remove our masks and hoods. Gasps spread throughout the room. I understand their shock, and their awe. I gasped when I first saw my friends too. They are something to gasp over. Nina is slim and pretty, with flawless skin and nice green eyes. She is taller than me, but shorter than Alexandra with long, dark hair. Alex herself is dark skinned with her black hair in long braids. She has brown eyes and an easy smile; oh, and shimmering white feathered wings. Luk has thick black hair, stiff at the roots and smooth on top.

Two inches up from his skull, the hair on the top of his head arcs gently, drooping over his forehead. His face is handsome, his jaw strong and his blue eyes fierce. He chose his mask style, identical to that of the Phantom of the Opera, because of the long, thick, ragged scar cutting across his left cheekbone and the bridge of his nose. His jaw is covered in thick, coarse stubble and his teeth are white and straight. He is handsome.

But when I look up, everyone is looking at…me. I don't know why. I'm nothing to gasp over. My hair is thick, black, curly and wild and it bounces where it wishes. I reach my hands up to pull it back and Luk reaches into one the myriad storage compartments on his person, offering me a hair tie. I take it, gratefully and smile my thanks.

My teeth are white and just as straight at everyone else's; a fact I take pride in, since the men I worked for all had crooked yellow teeth. They are probably surprised that I am black. But I'm not black really, I have some in there, but it's mostly that the mix of ethnicities that my lineage hosts happens to make up a skin tone that replicates that of black people.

But they stare on. Oh, my eyes; the only side effect of my powers. They are even bluer than Luk's. While his eyes are deep blue, like the ocean, mine are a light ice blue.

"What?" I say, my iron façade sliding back into place.

"Nothing much." Pietro Maximoff grins crookedly, ever the charmer. "Just how beautiful you are."

"Sorry, speedy." I smirk. "Taken."

"Is it him?" Maximoff pries, his eyes darting to Luk.

"No." I smile. "He's my best friend and it's kind of complicated, but no. My guy may be dead by now…" I trail off; looking down, then bring my gaze back up. "But if he's alive, I'll find him."

"Ah." Maximoff nods. "Don't mind me, then."

"Don't worry, I won't." I smirk. Captain America looks at me.

"You sound British, or something." He says to Alex.

"Yes." She smiles. "Born, not raised."

"And you're from…where?" He asks Nina.

"Colombia." She shrugs. "But I've been a lot of places."

"Where were you born?" Dr. Banner asks me. "Russia?"

"Sorry. I don't do backstory." I say. "If you want it, read my file."

"Are you guys in SHIELD's database?" Hawkeye asks.

"No." I say. "And I'm quite proud of that fact."

"Did you do that?" Tony asks. "Hack SHIELD, I mean."

"Wouldn't you like to know." I deadpan.

"So how would we find your file?" Black Widow asks wryly.

"You're smart." Alex shrugs. "All of you are. I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"You still haven't told us your names." Stark snaps.

"I'm Viktore Volkov." Luk says. "Or Phantom."

"I am Salina Idaki." Alex grins. "Whirlwind."

"I am Rosalinda Montoya." Nina nods. "Nightshade."

"And I don't know my name." I say. "I am now Mist, but I was called Frost. My number was 647859."

"But I named her Jaq." Luk insists stubbornly, frowning down at me. Sometimes I have trouble accepting that I'm not Hydra's Weapon anymore. It makes him angry.

"Because apparently, I look like a Jaq to you?" I tip my head. "I dunno; I like it, but I don't feel like a Jaq sometimes."

"Hey, you answered to it." Luk tosses up his hands, leaning back in the swivel chair.

"That I did." I say. "I didn't say I didn't like it. I only stated that I don't _feel_ like a Jaq sometimes."

"Whatever." Luk rolls his eyes in mock exasperation. "Thinking, bah."

"Did you just say, 'bah'?" I ask with a laugh. "You're such an old man sometimes."

"And proud of it." Luk crosses his arms, then turns to Stark. "Happy now? You know our names, can we leave?"

"Actually, how would you like to join our team?" Captain America says, leaning forward in his chair. "You four have the skills to break into a secure Hydra facility. Skills we'd hone, of course, but I think you'd be great additions. Not to mention, two of you are bulletproof, and one can fly! I don't what skills your other friend has, but you three are pretty cool."

"I don't think-" Luk starts; he looks a bit incensed at America's belittlement of my role in the mission, but I cut him off.

"Can we have a moment?" I smile. "Thank you so much."

"What do we need a moment for?" Luk says after I drag his chair away from the table. Nina and Alex remain behind. Nina's shaking her head, muttering something to Alex, whose feet are up on the table. "I don't wanna join."

"Don't be an idiot." I frown at him. "These are the freaking Avengers we're talking about."

"And?" Luk frowns right back. "They're just like normal people, with their prejudices and judgements, but with superpowers."

"We have something special too, Lukis!" I cajole. "We could be _Avengers_! Think of the possibilities!"

"I thought about them." He says, slouching horribly in his chair. "No."

"Don't make me sit on you, Viktore Lukis Volkov." I glare at him.

"Go ahead, you don't weigh anything, anyway." He grins cheekily and I toss myself onto his chest. "Oof! I think you broke a rib."

"What?" I pretend not to hear him. "I thought I don't weigh anything."

"Fine, alright?" He says grumpily, his voice muffled by my back. "Fine. We'll join the stupid Avengers, okay?"

"Yay!" I gush, hopping off of him. I only gush for Luk, and…him. "Thank you, Luk."

"Yeah, whatever." He says, rubbing his torso. "You're lucky I like you."

"I am." I say, grinning at him. "C'mon."

We walk back over, my shield coming back up.

"We'll join." Luk says grudgingly.

"Good." Captain America says. "We train here, but we live at the Avengers Tower in downtown New York. You'll be moving there. We can go collect your stuff, and-"

"What stuff?" Alex laughs. "Everything we have is on us."

"Okay then, we'll go there now." Captain America sighs gratefully.

"How do you know they don't wanna bomb my tower?" Stark says.

"Bomb your tower?" Nina laughs. "Why the hell would we do that? Half of you wouldn't die anyway, so we'd have a bunch of pissed off Avengers after us."

"I don't know why you'd do it!" Stark says. "I'm just supposing you might."

"A horrible supposition, really." Luk shrugs with one shoulder.

"I do not like to question the motives of outsiders, having been one myself, but I agree with Tony." The Vision says calmly. "How do we know their intentions?"

"There is but one way to test the motives of others." Thor says, hefting his hammer onto the table. "Pick it up."

"Uh, no thank you." I say with a shudder. "The last foreign object I picked up caused the death of an entire compound full of people."

"I guarantee you that this object will not do so." Thor says as Wanda leans over to the Vision, saying something to him.

"Sorry, I can't." I turn away. "There's gotta be another way."

"There is another way." Wanda says, her brown eyes tinged with red.

"I don't think that'll work, but you can try." I look over at Alex, who shrugs, but I whip my head back when someone calls out.

"Think fast!"

My instincts take over and I spin back, grabbing the flying projectile. I stand there, holding it for a moment, as the whole room freezes in shocked silence. The projectile is Thor's hammer. Once I realize it, I drop it like it burned me and step back.

"Why would you do that?" I glare. "You could have all been killed."

"You are worthy." Thor beams. He is so friendly, it hurts my heart to be angry at him, but he doesn't understand the danger. None of them do.

"Perhaps so, but that could've turned out way differently." I snap.

"Don't be so uptight; we're all alive. No harm, no foul, Frosty." Stark smirks. I am across the table in an instant, and he is pulled out of his chair and pinned against the wall.

"Don't ever call me that again." I say softly. I learned that when you yell, people aren't afraid because yelling is the worst that yellers ever do. But the quiet ones… "You have no idea, how serious that could've been. You have no idea what I can do. None of you do, and if you aren't careful it will be your downfall. Tread lightly, Stark."

Nina puts her hand on my shoulder then, and I let Stark go. Even though I am shorter than him, I still held him fast. On the other side of the table, out of the corner of my eye, I see Maximoff's eyes glow completely red, briefly, before she pulls back in confusion. She stands and approaches me slowly, looking at me. Even she's taller than me. So unfair.

"Your mind…" She says, shaking her head. "I tried to read it, to see inside, but…"

"I know." I say. "It's impossible."

"But why?" She frowns.

"It's also complicated." I smile. "Maybe I'll tell you one day. You might be able to help me."

"If you need me, I will try." She smiles back then, and sits down.

"So are they coming or not?" Falcon asks, a smile on his goateed face.

"They're coming." Black Widow says with a nod.

 **I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 3

Here's chapter 3. R&R and enjoy.

Lukis

"Wow." Jaq gapes as we pull up to the Avenger's tower. "This is your place?"

"Damn right." Stark says, sliding on his sunglasses. Jaq, Nina, Alex and I pull on our masks again and get out of the car after Stark. The rest of the Avengers came by jet. Once we are inside, my mouth drops open. This place is amazing. Professionals wearing their professional garb bustle to and fro throughout the lobby. A majority stop, though, to stare at us. Alex has wings, Nina is nearly floating, I'm wearing a cape, and Jaq is gliding through the lobby like a snowy princess; but I'm sure they've seen people in capes before.

We board the elevator for the seventy-fifth floor, labelled the Avenger's floor. When the doors close, Jaq leans her head into my side, breathing audibly through what are surely clenched teeth.

"What the hell's wrong with tough girl?" Stark smirks.

"She's claustrophobic." Alex snaps from the other wall. When I found out, I wasn't that surprised; Hydra sounds like the type to torture people with enclosed spaces. When the doors open on the Avenger's common floor, (after Jaq surges out of the elevator and nearly collapses on the shiny floors) all I can think is wow. The place is beautiful. Sleek and modern. We remove our masks again, this time for good, and I take off my cape.

We are led to the couch in the common living room, and sat down.

"Do y'all wanna change your clothes, or what?" Falcon asks. He is the first one to join us in the living area, followed closely by the others, now in casual clothes.

"Do you all have a place to store our weapons and equipment?" Nina asks. As recon and equipment expert, her weapons are her babies.

"It depends." Black Widow says. "How much weaponry do you have?"

"Do you have a table?" I ask and Jaq laughs.

"We might need two tables, Luk." She grins up at me. Captain America pulls the glass coffee table over to us and I unbutton my long, black trench-style overcoat. I have a leather bandolier strapped to my chest, filled with shooting and exploding weapons of every kind. I have grenades, guns of all sizes, a small grenade launcher, and enough bullets of all types to supply a military campaign. I even have old-style stick dynamite.

Jaq unzips her white leather jacket, standing in a white long-sleeved t-shirt and her baggy pants. She too has a bandolier on, but along with her lighter guns and ammo, she has non-lethal weapons. She has a Taser, teargas bombs, flashbangs, and smoke bombs.

Nina pulls off her diagonal-cut grey half smock. There is a grey t-shirt underneath, and her bandolier has every type of exotic weapon one could dream of. She has blow guns, machetes, a polearm, throwing stars, throwing knives, a mace, and something that looks suspiciously like a Samurai sword.

Alex eases her sleeveless coat/cape off and reveals a blue three quarter length sleeve shirt. Her bandolier is filled with an array of weapons good for use in the air, including a miniature anti-aircraft gun and, oddly enough, a whip.

We unstrap the bandoliers, placing them on the table and set about unloading the hidden things. I pull my overcoat the rest of the way off, then remove my armored outer shirt. I have a flat quiver between my shoulder blades that Hawkeye nods at with a smile. I remove the collapsible bow from the deep pocket of my thick pants.

Jaq pulls knives out of everywhere, including her pockets and leg sheathes. She also pulls out a length of DET cord. Alex removes a tiny container full of a poisonous gas, and a bottle of chloroform. Nina grins devilishly and pulls out a collapsible spear and last of all, a plastic bag. Don't ask. Yes, she can kill someone with just a plastic bag. Several different ways, actually.

I remove the C4 from the false bottom of my left boot. Jaq pulls a Vibranium disk out of the back of her watch.

"What's that for?" War Machine asks.

"Uh, it's something Alex invented." Jaq says sheepishly. "See, not only is Vibranium the strongest metal in the world, it's also the best sound conductor. That's why when Captain America hits someone with his shield, the sound keeps ringing. This little disk can break every window in a two mile radius. We rigged it to play a high pitched tone and keep bouncing it off of everything. Unfortunately, it'll also call every dog in the neighborhood."

"But I think I fixed it this time." Nina says. "I lowered the tone."

"Last time you lowered the tone, our ears bled." Alex frowns. "It's your turn to test it."

"Fine then." Nina grins and shrugs. "But I think it'll work. It's high enough to keep human ears from picking it up, but quiet enough to keep dogs away. And the windows will still break."

"Is that all your weapons?" Black Widow asks.

Alex reaches into Jaq's pocket and pulls out the masking agent that we cover cameras with, putting it on the table with her pepper spray.

"Yeah." Jaq says. "Now what?"

"I'll show you your rooms, and you guys can change and come back." Stark yawns. "Come on." He takes us up a flight of stairs to the living quarters. "This is your floor, Idaki."

"Where's ours?" Jaq says, but I already know the answer and I don't like it.

"It's the one of the next few up." Stark says.

"No." Nina says.

"Why not?" Stark frowns.

"Because." I say. "We have to be on the same floor at least."

"Fine, whatever." Stark rolls his eyes. "We'll be downstairs when you're done shagging each other…I mean, _changing_."

"Thank you." I growl as Stark closes the door. "What an asshole."

"Just ignore him." Alex says, tossing Jaq my black gym shorts. I turn around as she slides her shirt off, talking to the girls while I face the wall.

"He just insinuated that we were going to do something other than what we said." I fume.

"People say things as an out, all the time, Vik. Stark probably does it most of all." Nina says with a laugh; her voice muffled by the hoodie she pulls over her head. "If it's not true, just ignore him."

"I think it's some crap, that's all." I pull off my black undershirt as Jaq crosses the room to the bathroom, yanking my long shorts over her leggings. I pull on a sleeveless Under Armour shirt, (black of course) and a pair of grey sweatpants instead of my suit's pants.

"It is, but it's gonna be okay." She comes out of the back room and pulls me out of the chair I sat in. "C'mon guys. I wanna get to know these Avengers."

"I think I know quite enough, thanks." Alex snorts. I agree, but we come anyway


	5. Chapter 4

Alex

"There sure are a lot of you." I say.

"Yeah." Steve Rogers says. "There are."

"Okay, so, one last time." Luk says, shaking his head. "Bruce Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, James Rhodes, Sam Wilson, The Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and Pietro Maximoff; is that everyone?"

"That's everyone." Natasha says.

"Good." Jaq says. "So you all have powers, basically?"

"Pretty much." Clint grins. "Thor's got lightning, Steve's got serum, Tony's got a suit, Rhodes has a suit, Sam has wings, Vision…he's pretty special, Wanda's got some stuff I can't even try to explain, Pietro's got speed, Bruce has anger, I've got my arrows, and Nat's got badass-ery."

"Very eloquent, Agent Barton." The Vision smiles.

"So what are your powers?" Sam asks. We fall silent, our mirth falling away. Our powers are hard to talk about. Jaq prepares to speak first, because for us, it is the darkest part of our life; but for her, it is the easiest part to talk about.

"I'm an Ice element." She says. "So I have ice powers."

"Like Elsa-type, or what?" Tony asks.

"Yeah, not like hers." She laughs. "Mine are less animated, more deadly."

"Ah, so do you manipulate ice, or produce it yourself?" Dr. Banner asks.

"Both." She shrugs. "I can control preexisting ice formations and make it myself. I can also freeze things either with a touch, or with concentration, my mind. I can also bend snow."

"Bend…snow?" Rhodes asks.

"Yeah, like if it's already snowing, I can control the force and amount, as well as the direction." She smirks. "I can't make snow like I can make ice, but I can bring on a snowfall."

"So you control facets of the weather, as I do." Thor says.

"Technically, yes." She nods. "I also have a bad habit of making alien objects explode."

"Okay, what's the story on that one?" Sam asks.

"The last thing I picked up that didn't originate on earth was this smooth, circular stone. When I touched it, it glowed and blew the whole place, except for me and my handler." She smiles.

"Handler?" Clint frowns.

"Long story, bad ending." She rolls her eyes. She throws Wanda a nearly imperceptible glance. "I'm also an empath with a bit of telepathy."

"Alright, call me dense, but what the hell is that?" Pietro asks.

"You're dense." She grins. "An empath can sense and read people's emotion, like Wanda reads minds. I can also see people's thoughts if I look deep enough, especially if I'm not paying enough attention to only feeling what they feel. I can't mess with their thoughts; but thoughts and feelings aren't that far apart, really. I can project emotions, though. So if I need or want someone to feel a certain way, I can project that emotion onto them."

"But for a majority of empaths, that level of skill takes decades to accomplish." Dr. Banner says quietly. She smiles with no humor. This is dangerous territory.

"You'd be surprised the level of skill one achieves when her employers are breathing down her neck." She says quietly.

"But you're so young!" He insists.

"Looks can be deceiving, Doctor." She says. "Things are not always what they seem."

"Oooh, cryptic." Pietro cackles. "What are your powers, Winged Warrior?"

"I have wings, true." I frown. "But it's nothing special."

"Oh, really?" Stark says sardonically. "Because, last I checked, people don't generally have wings."

"Fine." I roll my eyes. "I can fly, I can control wind, and I'm freakishly farsighted."

"How about you, Blackout?" Clint grins at Nina.

"I can control dark matter and I have spacial and metaphysical powers" She says matter-of-factly.

"Okaaay…" Clint nods slowly.

"And I'm the recon and weapons specialist." Nina grins impishly.

"Now that I can understand." Clint chuckles. "How about you, Man in Black?"

"Mine are complicated." Luk says quietly.

"Take your time." I whisper.

"When I was eighteen, I went into a medical trial study type thing that was supposed to make people stronger and faster." He sighs. "The trial's doctors apparently got some drug, completely legal they said, that was derived from an inverse of your serum, Captain."

"They _made_ an inverse?" Steve's brow wrinkles.

"So they said." Luk clarifies. "I was young and gullible. I was a reasonably sized person, but for a full-blooded Russian man I was on the small side. I was ridiculed, bullied a lot, that type of thing. My father was in the Russian mob, so he wanted a stronger son. I grew up with a lot of inadequacy issues. So I enrolled, and they put it in me."

Luk heaves a sigh, looking down at his hands, and Jaq rubs his back with one hand.

"At first, everything was fine. The serum they gave me worked. I looked like this, and I was smarter and faster, and just better overall. But the last night of observation, something _flipped_. I woke up in the middle of the night, starving. But not for food, it was just this inexplicable void inside me." Luk looks away, then turns back to the others. "I walked through the building, looking for a way out, and a guard tried to stop me. He said to stop, but I just ignored him, so he pulled his gun."

Luk takes a deep shuddering breath. This is the hardest part of his story.

"He emptied his clip on me; just sprayed bullets across my chest and back. But I just stopped. The only thing that had holes in it was my shirt. It felt like he tossed a handful of gravel at me." Luk chuckles, no amusement in his tone. "I looked at him and he looked at me, bullets all over the floor, and I reached out and grabbed him by the throat. I lifted him a foot off the ground, looked into his eyes and took a deep breath."

Luk looks up at the ceiling, taking shallow breaths.

"Take it slow." Nina says softly. Luk nods appreciatively, making use of the well-used Method of Tear Avoidance.

"To this day, I don't know why I took that breath. I don't know what I was going to do to him, but when I breathed in, I felt full. That void was gone, but the man in my hand was dead afterwards. He was slack jawed and dead eyed and he hung there in my hand. His skin turned grey and his irises lost their color. He was just a shell." Luk sighs. "I dropped his body and I ran like hell. Later, I figured out what I did. I drained away his life force. I just drank it out of him, through my hands."

"Whoa." Tony says. "That's crazy."

"I can control it now." Luk says. "But for the longest time, I was a recluse. I wouldn't go near people; I dreamed of that guard, I practiced, figured out what brought it on. The hunger, it was as a result of my new metabolic rate. They hadn't fed me enough, and instead of wasting away, I became hungry in a different way. I also learned that when I get that hunger, my personality switches to satisfy it. I'm like Jekyll and Hyde; almost. So to keep that hunger away, I eat enough to nourish my body."

"Can you control the life forces you drain?" Banner asks.

"Yeah, I can use it to make me stronger, or as a weapon. I can overload someone else's body system with life force; make them combust." Luk says.

"That's interesting." Banner says. "Do you mind if we run a few tests, just to-?"

"Yes." Luk says. "Yes, I do mind."

"I understand." Banner nods. He turns to Jaq. "How about you?"

"I'm sorry, sir." She shakes her head, unable to stifle the involuntary shudder that runs through her. I don't think she's even aware that she moved. "I don't do labs, or needles, or tests of any sort."

"Not even pregnancy tests?" Stark snorts.

"Not even those." She says flatly.

"Very well." Banner shrugs. "I respect it."

"Thank you." Luk smiles.

"So what's your story?" Natasha asks Jaq.

"I don't do backstory." She insists doggedly.

"C'mon." Barton sighs. "We just wanna get to know you." She rolls her eyes and huffs.

"Short version, I was an assassin for an evil organization, had my hand in a lot of international 'incidents'. I ran away from the organization, and I met Lukis. I'm the one who pulled him out of his self-imposed exile." She shrugs. "A few months later, we found Alex and Nina and you know the rest."

"Who the hell are Alex and Nina?" Tony's brow wrinkles.

"Them." Jaq flaps a hand at us.

"But I thought-"

"Middle names." She cuts Stark off. "I call my friends by their middle names."

"My middle name's Edward." Stark grins schmoozily.

"I said _friends_." Jaq rolls her eyes.

"So you brought Volkov out of seclusion?" Clint asks over Stark's offended scoff.

"Yeah. I came out 'cause she was so freaking pitiful, I couldn't just leave her out there." Luk laughs.

"I wasn't that pitiful." Jaq frowns and I laugh.

"Lies." He retorts.

"Hold on there, sir. Let us call to mind the fact that I could render you unconscious roughly thirty-four ways right now. And that's if I decided to use a weapon, without moving from this spot." Jaq eyes Luk and he puts his hands up.

"I didn't say you were still pitiful." He shrugs. "Carry on."

"Right. Let us also call to mind that I could've done the same then. I was still an assassin you know." I roll my eyes. Here she goes again. "Anyway, I proposed that we become vigilantes, and here we are."

"How'd a pretty girl like you become an assassin?" Pietro winks at Jaq. The look on her face is priceless. It's a mixture of disgust, flattery, benevolence, and mild annoyance.

"You don't give up, do you?" She sighs. "It wasn't my choice."

"I bet." Tony rolls his eyes.

"What do you mean, you bet?" She frowns. "You think I asked an evil organization to make me an assassin?"

"The Wonder Twins did." Tony shrugs. "I figured it was a trend."

"They were older." Jaq shakes her head. Uh-oh. This can't end well. "They thought they were doing the right thing. I never got the choice."

"What do you mean you never got a choice?" Wanda asks.

"You were fifteen." Jaq says offhandedly. "I was younger."

"How did you know that?" Wanda demands breathlessly. "Who told you?"

"No one did." Jaq says, avoiding her eyes.

"Then, how, do, you KNOW?" Wanda's face is turning red and she is angry. Jaq sits perfectly, rigidly still; and I know she can feel Wanda's anger.

"It's not important." She says quietly.

"Do not give me that!" Wanda leaps out of her seat, eyes glowing red, and stalks over to Jaq. She rises calmly and they stand toe to toe.

"Fine. I won't." She shrugs. "But I won't tell you, either."

"Why?" She asks. "You seem familiar."

"I want to start again." She says quietly. "I have done a great deal of things that I am not proud of, and I would like to start again. Does that not sound familiar?"

It does to me. I am remembered for being a freak, and Jaq and Luk were my second chance.

"It does." Wanda says, her anger gone. I see Jaq's shoulders sag slightly at the relief of the lack of it. Wanda pauses, tipping her head as though retrieving a memory. She smiles softly at Jaq and speaks in Romanian. " _Dar nu pot să vă știu?_ "(1)

" _Eu nu sunt pentru tine să știi._ "(2) Jaq says in the same language. I can see Jaq forcing tears back behind the stone mask she wears. This must bring back memories. She said she knew some Avengers, but it never occurred to me that it might be the Maximoffs. " _Sunt Frost; Eu vin ca voi și du-te în cazul în care vreau. Eu nu sunt pentru tine să știi._ "(3)

" _Nu trebuie să Frost fi reținut, pe care le refuza cererea noastra?_ "(4) Pietro walks over, speaking in the same tongue as his sister, a cocky smirk fixed on his face. " _Sau pur și simplu lipsește puterea de a descoperi ceea ce căutăm?"(_ 5)

" _Știu ce ai căuta; puterea de a elimina inamicul inimii tale._ "(6) She answers. " _Am declin întrebările dumneavoastră; nu pentru că nu au puterea de a le răspunde, ci pentru că răspunsurile pe care le într-adevăr dorința nu se culce cu mine._ "(7)

" _Cu cine se află?_ "(8) The twins ask in unison.

" _Cu cei care te va apropia, de trei zile, prin urmare._ "(9) I say. " _Eu vă va avertiza de acest lucru. Nu rămân cu ei. Ia ceea ce aveți nevoie pentru a atinge obiectivul dvs., apoi se lasă înainte dătătorul colectează taxele sale. Pentru a avea dorințele inimii tale; uneori trebuie să facă o afacere cu un inamic chiar mai mare decât pe care doriți să o distrugă. Fiți prudent și vigilent; de observatorii sunt peste tot._ "(10)

"Oh! It is you!" Wanda says in English broken by tears, hugging Jaq. "I thought they killed you."

"They tried." She says in English as well. "But I'm stronger than they thought. Good to see you took my advice."

"We did." Pietro says. "We left the first chance we got."

"So…you guys know each other?" Sam says, pointing between the three of them.

"Yeah." Jaq says softly, hanging her head a little. "I knew them a while ago."

"Ah." He says. Jaq sits back down and pull her white bandana out of her pocket, fingering it.

"Can I see that?" Steve asks, and she hands it to him. That's her special bandana. I wonder why she gave it to him. While he looks it over, Wanda looks at Jaq.

"So after you spoke to us?" She asks.

"I left." She says. "I cut the tracker out of my shoulder and I ran away. I wandered around for a year, until I met Lukis."

"Were you all right?" Pietro's brow wrinkles.

"I suppose." She says. "I'm better now."

"What's this?" Tony growls. He's holding Jaq's bandana clenched in his fist. "Hydra?"

"Give me that." Jaq walks over to Tony, to take back the cloth square, but he holds it up, out of her reach. Instead of reaching for it, she stomps on his foot **hard**.

"Ouch!" He frowns, dropping his hands, and behind him, Clint laughs shortly. "You were Hydra."

"It's a long story, which you don't understand; so don't cast judgement." Jaq snaps, snatching the bandana from him.

"Then, please, explain it." Steve says. "There's a red octopus stamped on that scarf."

"I don't _do_ backstory." Jaq snarls. She's angry now. She doesn't like having her thoughts disregarded. She got enough of that at Hydra.

"Do you do jail?" Tony snaps.

"Do you throw everyone with ties to Hydra in jail?" She taunts. "Cause if so, I think you missed a few people."

"Not everyone." Tony smirks. "Only undercover spies."

"Oi." She rolls her eyes. "For a genius, you sure are stupid."

"Excuse me?" He looks affronted.

"You heard me." She scoffs, and Nina smothers a laugh. "If I was truly working for Hydra undercover, would I bring the only symbol of my organization out in front of the group dedicated to eliminating them?"

"You would if you were trying to give us a signal; so you could escape them." Barton shrugs.

"If that was the case, then I wouldn't really be undercover Hydra, would I?" She says testily.

"Enough semantics." Tony barks. "Are you Hydra or not?"

"If I was Hydra, would I answer that truthfully?" She deadpans. "And, by the way, if I was still Hydra, I'd have evidence of my service other than this bandana."

"Still?" Natasha says suspiciously. She heaves a sigh and sits back down.

"This bandana is; _was_ , my father's." She starts.

"So _he_ was Hydra!" Tony says triumphantly.

"No." She says. "Please be quiet. My grandfather, my father's father, was Hydra. In our town, Hydra was a big thing. He wasn't always; he used to secretly oppose them, but he was found out, so they blackmailed him. He'd done some pretty colorful things to Hydra in the past, so they said if he didn't give them something of major worth by the time he turned forty-eight, they'd kill him. He was poor and humble, my grandfather; he had nothing of worth to Hydra. My mother died when I was three years old, so I lived with my father. When I was eight, I was at my grandfather's house; my father had just come to pick me up."

She looks down at the floor. She told us this story, and I still remember how hard it was for her.

"My grandfather was distressed, because the next day was his forty-eighth birthday. He and my father were arguing right in the other room. They thought I was playing, but I saw it all. My father wanted to leave the country, but my grandfather said something about it being too late. He said, we can't leave, Aeron, the deadline has come; then he pulled out a gun and shot my father, his son in the head. He dropped the gun, and fell to his knees, then he came to me."

She breathes deeply, staring into space.

"I thought he was gonna shoot me like he shot Papa, but instead, he picked me up, put me in the car, and drove to a big building. I remember being afraid, and he said it would be alright. He took me into that building, and gave me to a tall scary man in a black suit. He had big, beefy men in suits with him, and he took me from my grandfather. You cut it close, Kyerun; the tall man said. But the worst part was that my grandfather; the man I'd trusted and who was always funny, and smart, and strong, and brave; he knelt at the tall man's feet and groveled. I'm sorry, he'd said. But I have brought you a real treasure."

She heaves a ragged sigh.

"I didn't know why I was a treasure. I had discovered my powers the year before, but everyone in my father's family had a power of some kind; it wasn't that special to me."

"What was your father's power?" Steve asks her gently.

"He was a water element, and my grandfather was a telekinetic." Jaq says. "But the tall man acted as though I was the greatest thing he'd ever seen. He smiled down at my grandfather. You've done well, Kyerun; he said, but you cut it too close. He turned to his beefy men and waved his hand at my grandfather. He howled and screamed, but they shot him, right there in the middle of the floor. They shot him down like a dog; like he shot my father, then they dragged his body away."

She seems to resurface then, sitting forward. "He sold me. He sold me into slavery for his life, and they took that too."

"So how'd the Hydra symbol get on this bandana?" Tony asks warily.

"The men in suits put me on a plane, and when we got back off, we were somewhere cold and snowy. It was Russia, as I later found out." She rubs her hands together, as though feeling the temperature of the memory.

"Whenever my father used to leave me somewhere, he'd give me his bandana. My mother had bought it for him, so it reminded me of them both whenever he was away. I still had it with me when I was taken, and the tall man saw me holding it. His guards tried to take it, but the tall man stopped them. He asked where I got it, and I told them it was my father's. So he stamped it with the symbol of my 'new life'." She looks down at the bandana, and at that moment I can see the age in her eyes.

"He knew I wouldn't be able to bear parting with it, so whenever I saw it, I was always reminded of my grandfather's cowardice and Hydra, along with my parents. Now when I see it, I remember what I escaped." She sighs thickly.

"Why white?" Sam asks.

"White was my father's favorite color." She says softly. "He liked it because it was clean and fresh; yet it contained all the colors of the rainbow." She looks at the Maximoffs and huffs.

"I'm so sorry." She apologizes, looking down at the cloth clenched in her hands. "This could've all been different. You two were my last mission. I should've left and nothing would've happened to you. I knew what Hydra was like, but I selfishly chose to use you two as an out and I put you in harm's way."

"It's alright, we're fine now." Wanda starts, but Jak shakes her head.

"It was wrong of me to do what I did, and I'm sorry." She says; her voice just short of breaking. "You were so young; I could've helped you, but instead I just ruined your lives. I'm so sorry."

She gets up and leaves the room. Stupid Avengers. This is why we don't make Jaq talk about her past. In the face of danger, she never yields, but old memories can ruin her. Viktore moves to get up and find her, but I stop him.

"Let me try, Vik." I say softly. He nods, looking nearly as undone as Jaq is. I rise, and my movement moves Nina's eyes from the Maximoff boy. She sends me a look. _Help her out._ It says. _I know how hard this is for her._

So do I. I cross the room, and open the door to the stairwell; but she hasn't left this floor yet. She's crouched on the concrete of the landing, battling tears.

"Jaq." I say. "Hey. It's okay."

"You can't fix this one, Salina." Jaq says with a sob, wiping her eyes. "You just can't."

She rises swiftly and flees, leaving me standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her sadness hurts me, after all this time the four of us have spent insuring that the others are taken care of. I want to help her, but I don't know how. She must be truly grieved to call me by my first name. I have to help her get better.


	6. AN 2

**Man, guys. I'm so sorry. I was gonna update yesterday, but I wasn't connected to the internet all day. T make up for it, I posted an extra-long chapter on Winter Mist, and a double update on The Leveller. Have a nice day. :)**


	7. Chapter 4 translations

But can I not know you?(1)

I am not for you to know.(2)

I am Frost; I come as I will and go where I please. I am not for you to know.(3)

Must Frost not be detained, that you decline our inquiries?(4)

Or do you simply lack the power to reveal what we seek?(5)

I know what you seek; the power to eliminate the enemy of your heart.(6)

I decline your inquiries; not because I lack the power to answer them, but because the answers you truly desire do not lie with me. (7)

With whom do they lie? (8)

With those who will approach you, three days hence. (9)

I will warn you of this. Do not remain with them. Take what you need to achieve your goal, then leave before the giver collects his dues. To have the desires of your heart; sometimes one must make a deal with an enemy even greater than that you wish to destroy. Be cautious and vigilant; the watchers are everywhere.(10)

~ These are translations from the Romanian in my last chapter. I'm pretty sure they're right, but if not, bear with me. It is a second language, after all...


	8. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. Thank you for the reviews! I'm thinking that if I get 30 reviews, I'll start doing responses. Thank you for your support and enjoy. Got a nice fight scene for you...**

 **Aaand I don't own Marvel. Yeah...**

Lukis

"What was that?" Rhodes asks when 'Lina comes back in the room. "Where'd she go?"

"She has some major guilt issues." She frowns. She is obviously in just as bad mood as I am. These people had no business prying in Jaq's affairs like they did. I also dislike having to defend Jaq's honor to 'teammates'. "She went somewhere; probably to chill for a little bit."

"I'm trying to figure out why she called the Maximoffs young." Sam says. "How old are y'all?"

"We are nineteen." Pietro says quietly. He and Wanda are both obviously sobered by Jaq's apology.

"I want to know the answer to that question, too." Dr. Banner says.

"Why?" Nina snaps. We don't know how old Jaq is, but some things she says and knows make me think she is older than most people believe. "What business of yours is her age?"

"We're just curious." Steve says calmly. "We want to know about you, that's all."

"Yeah, Chuckles, no need to get hostile." Tony smirks, and 'Lina glares at him.

"You've not seen me hostile yet." I say, glaring along with her. "But if you try me, it won't be long."

"What's with all the threats?" Clint says with a shrug.

"The past is a touchy issue for all of us, but Jaq especially." 'Lina snarls. "She told us some things, and I've seen how hard it is for her. I've spent two years building trust with her and trying to convince her that the past doesn't make her who she is. She still hasn't told us things, and I don't think we'll ever know everything; but I care about her wellbeing."

"As do I." I nod. "I just want her to be okay."

"And you say you aren't screwing." Tony says under his breath.

"One more time, Stark." I point at him. "Serum hearing. Don't say that again."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that you've never done it." He says seriously.

"I can't; because, not that it's your business, we have." I say simply. "But that was one time; before she remembered the one she's waiting on. It hasn't happened since, and our relationship isn't even like that."

"Who's she waiting on?" Natasha asks.

"That's not for me to say." I smile softly.

"Do you even know?" Rhodes asks.

"Yes." Nina says. "That's the first thing she told _me_."

"Is he Hydra?" Wanda asks.

"No more or less than she is." 'Lina shrugs. "It's complicated; but she loves him, I know that."

"If she loves him," The Vision begins slowly, "how did she forget him?

"Her memory was fragmented." I frown down at the floor. "She was brainwashed; that's how Hydra kept her when she was old enough to run away."

"That is barbaric." Thor frowns. "To steal the memories of another is the worst evil I know. When all else fails, you should at least have your memories."

"We know." Nina says. "There are things she won't ever remember, good and bad. She has triggers, same as other people; just different ones."

"Is anyone hungry?" Steve asks. He was oddly silent throughout the whole second half of the conversation; almost pensive.

"I'm starving." I grin.

"Alright, then." Steve says. "Do you cook, Viktore?"

"Some." I shrug. "Jaq's better."

"Jaq's **_way_** better." 'Lina snorts.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, she's sure got one up on me." I shake my head. "All of them do."

"Woman's work?" Rhodes raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, no!" I shake my head. "I could pull that if I wanted to, but I might not be able to stand afterwards. These ladies would show me no mercy. I hear it's hard to walk with no legs."

Everyone laughs and I chuckle.

"Yeah, they mostly just kick me out." I shrug. "Jaq says my food could gag a rat."

"Your food **could** gag a rat." Nina mutters, echoing 'Lina's insult tactic.

"But I bake better than they do." I shoot her a soft glare.

"You bake?" Wanda bites her lip. It looks like she wants to laugh.

"Yeah…why?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I-I just have never spoken to a man who liked to bake." She says, choking back laughter.

"Do you think it's funny?" I say terribly, pulling myself up to my full height; about the same height as Thor.

"Kind of." She snickers quietly, then composes herself. "I apologize."

"No need." I flip the bangs out of my eyes dramatically. "Laugh it up."

"Who is cooking, then?" Thor asks. "I require sustenance."

"Me too." 'Lina agrees.

"I'll cook." Natasha rolls her eyes. "Step aside, Rogers."

"With pleasure, ma'am." Steve says with this goofy grin on his face.

"Hey, can someone go to the store?" Natasha says from inside the refrigerator. "We need bread."

"I'll go." 'Lina volunteers. "And Nina will come with."

"Hey!" Nina frowns. "No fair voluntelling!"

"I'll go get Jaq." I say quietly as Natasha sends the girls to the store (over Nina's protests) and sets out food to prepare. I board the elevator to our floor, and step out into the living room when I arrive. I scan the room, finding it empty, then move to the kitchen. Empty. I check the bedroom and it's also empty. I turn to leave, but at the last second I see a flash of black and white. It's Jaq's hair and shirt.

She is wedged between the side of the bed and the corner of the room. Her head is leaning against the wall, and she has a blank look in her eyes. That's not good. I sprawl across the bed, reach over to her, and I touch her shoulder.

"Jaq." I say. "Are you hungry?"

She turns her head toward me, lightning fast and her brow wrinkles in confusion.

"I am Frost; 647859. I am swift, I am silent, and I cannot be broken." She recites mechanically. Her voice is dead and her normally clear blue eyes are unfocused. She is looking at me, but she's not seeing me. That only means one thing; she is caught in a flashback.

"Jaq, it's me, Lukis." I say with a frown. "We're in New York, in Avenger's tower; it's 2015."

"I am Frost; 647859. I am swift, I am silent, and I cannot be broken." She frowns back, and launches herself out of her hiding place. Last time she was in a flashback near this bad, we sparred for a half hour and she broke two of my ribs, even with my invulnerability. I still don't know how she did that. But right now she comes at me with a vengeance, though her face is impassive.

I roll off of the bed quickly and catch her hands in mine.

"Jaq, it's me!" I say.

"I am Frost; 647859. I am swift, I am silent, and I cannot be broken." She repeats, then kicks me in the knee. Once her hands are free, she punches me in the face twice in quick succession. I dodge the third punch she tries to throw and book it for the elevator, the one place I know she won't follow. I don't anticipate the tackle, and it carries me through the door to the stairs and dumps us both on the landing. Jaq is up first, and she lifts her foot to stomp on my head.

I grab her heel and flip her away from me; only because I need a moment and I know she will land on her feet. I am not disappointed. She executes a perfectly formed double backflip and lands on the landing eight steps below. A second later I am up and I jump down before she can come back up.

"Jaq, wake up, please!" I say, pinning her to the wall, hands above her head like she told me to. "It's okay. You're not Frost anymore. It's me Lukis."

"I am Frost; 647859. I am swift, I am silent, and I cannot be broken." She says again, and attacks. She kicks, punches, and spins; her limbs a flurry of motion. I bend and grab both of her hands again, just as she is about to shove me and she head-butts me down the last half-flight of steps instead. I land on my back this time, leaping back up instantly. She jumps down this time and comes at me. I shove the door open and she shoves me out of it, into the back of the common room. Pietro and Wanda are sitting in there with Sam and Steve and they all look up when we enter.

"Jaq." I try again. "It's me, Luk. Snap out of it!" She responds with a punch in the face and her catchphrase.

"I am Frost; 647859. I am swift, I am silent, and I cannot be broken." She says through gritted teeth, less from anger or frustration, and more from concentration. I block her blows and try to signal the others with my eyes.

"Nina!" I shout.

"She and your other friend have left for the store already." Wanda says. She is the only one who gets what I want.

"Hold her." She tells her brother softly.

"Has she gone rogue?" Sam asks.

"She's having a flashback." Steve says, his tone indicating that he finds that to be a great revelation. His face lights up briefly, then he hustles out of the room. Jaq is still punching me and I am still blocking her. Now that she's closer, I can hear that she's repeating her Frost line over and over. Pietro shuffles along the wall slowly for once and comes up behind Jaq. He wraps his arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides.

She stops muttering to herself and stiffens, her eyes widening in panic. She thrashes against Pietro's hold, and when she can't get away, she starts hyperventilating. She appears to be on the edge of catatonic shock and I recognize this as a panic attack brought on by a memory I'm unaware of.

"Pietro, that's good." I say sharply. "Let her go."

"Alright." He says, and he pulls away. Once he's gone, she nearly falls moving away. She scrambles backwards until she hits the wall and she crumples to the floor, drawing into herself. She sits with her knees drawn up, arms wrapped around her legs; rocking back and forth. She's muttering again.

"It's alright; it's gonna be okay. Maks is gone, and _Zima_ will be back soon. He'll be back to take care of me. It's gonna be okay." She breathes quickly; in and out, still murmuring to herself.

"Jaq." I say, kneeling in front of her. "Are you alright?"

She doesn't answer except to mutter some more, but I know she's not okay. Her eyes are still sightless. She's back locked in a Hydra cell. I want to help her, but there's only one thing that works for this. I reach into my boot. Taped behind my ankle bone is a capped hypodermic needle with a sedative pre-loaded into it.

"Jaq." I say, uncapping the needle and showing it to her. "I'm gonna tranquilize you now. I know you don't like needles, but you also know this is how it has to end."

Her eyes widen at the sight of the needle and she catches her breath.

"No." She says, shaking her head first slowly then faster and faster. She's yelling at the top of her lungs, but she's not talking to me. She's looking over my shoulder at something that isn't there. "NO!"

"Jaq." I bark. "Stop."

Her eyes harden as she snaps her mouth shut and it looks like she's gonna fight me again, but I speak firmly to her in Russian and her eyes glaze over. She takes the sedative mechanically and jams it into her outer thigh, pushing the plunger down. When the medicine is in her, she drops the needle and looks straight at me. Her eyes clear briefly before they roll back in her head and she passes out; slumping against the wall.

"What the hell was that?" Natasha asks. The rest of the Avengers, sans Steve, Nina, Alex and Bruce are back in the living room when I turn around, having scooped up Jaq.

"She had a flashback." I frown. "It was a bad one. Not the worst **ever** , but probably the second worst. I had to tranq her; or rather have her do it."

"What did you say to her?" Sam asks, eyes narrowed. Good to see he cares. "She was yelling about the shot and you said something."

"I said; protocol 7-2, tango foxtrot medical aid." I shrug. "Except in Russian. It's her trigger to give herself the first aid specified before the trigger word is said. Like just a second ago, I told her that I needed to sedate her, so she didn't hurt anyone, then I said the trigger."

"A trigger word. Like a dog?" Pietro asks quietly. I'm no empath, but his life energy is pulsing, burning red with anger. "They did many bad things to us, but they never treated us like dogs."

"You were their test subjects." I spit. "Their prized pupils. She was their pet assassin. There is no comparison."

Pietro nods, but he is still angry.

"I'm gonna take her up; she'll be asleep for the rest of the evening." I say and turn to go, but Pietro stops me.

"When I held her back, like you said, why did she get scared?" He asks quietly.

"I don't know." I say. "She usually tells me what she saw once she wakes up, but that seemed like a bad one." I shift Jaq in my arms. "Evil organizations aren't known for their protection of assets. I doubt you want the answer to your question."


	9. Chapter 6

**Some nice backstory here...**

Pietro

Knowing how Frost- Jaq, was treated hurts my heart. I want to talk to someone. The Avengers try to understand us, but the only person who can truly relate with me is Wanda. I walk over to her as Viktore comes back downstairs, scratching tiredly through the stubble on his face. He walks to the kitchen and I sit next to my sister. She is watching Viktore walk into the kitchen.

"You like him, don't you?" I tease her. She blushes; I caught her staring at him.

"Quiet, Piet." She laughs softly. "It is no business of yours."

"Ah, _Sora Mica_ , your business is my business." I grin at her.

"So you say." She tosses her head, and looks at me; her perceptive brown eyes roaming over my face. "What is wrong, _draga frate_? You are distressed."

"I am thinking of Jaq." I frown. "She went through trials unfamiliar to us."

"I know." Wanda nods sadly. "I wish to help her. I just do not know how to do so."

"I know how." I say, gauging her facial expression. She is intrigued.

"How?" She asks. Viktore comes out of the kitchen, his plate loaded with three sandwiches; turkey, ham, and roast beef, alongside a heaping portion of macaroni salad. A newly opened bag of chips dangles from his left hand and he has two cans of soda balanced on his wrist. He takes his seat next to Rhodes, Clint and Tony, across from his friends, Salina and Rosalinda. The two girls came from the kitchen looking as troubled as he does.

"We need to find the one she's waiting on." I say. Wanda frowns.

"That is not a good idea, Pietro." She says.

"How not?" I protest.

"We should not bother in her affairs this way." Wanda shakes her head. "Besides, we do not even know who it is."

"I do." I smile.

"How do you know this, _brata_?" Wanda raises an eyebrow at me. Viktor is already halfway through his second sandwich, the roast beef; soon he'll start talking and I don't want to miss that.

"There is only one it could be." I retort. "Jaq has to have had very specific tastes; all the Hydra men who weren't volunteers and weren't guards were ugly old men."

"So who is this one you speak of?" Wanda sighs. "No more crazy schemes, _draga_."

" _Ioi_! Who is the older brother, _myshka_?" I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. "Crazy schemes, my ass."

"Don't be stupid." Wanda swats me upside my head.

"I'm not!" I yelp. "And the person I'm talking about is _Zima Soldat_."

" _Zima Soldat_?" Wanda's eyes widen.

"Think about it; it couldn't be anyone else." I insist. "And I heard her say his name in her flashback; she said he would be back to take care of her."

"Oh, Pietro; if it even is him, how would we find him?" Wanda asks.

"We will help him be found." I say confidently.

"The Captain has been searching for months; what could we find that he, his best friend, could not?" Wanda frowns pensively.

"The Captain searches for his old friend." I sigh. "And as hard as it will be for him to understand, that man is gone. In his place is an assassin."

"Exactly, Pietro!" Wanda hisses. "And a part of being an assassin is being able to go where he pleases without being found."

"We will find him, Wanda." I assure her. "But we must listen to Viktore; gather information."

"What was the worst flashback?" Rhodes asks. The Vision floats in and sits on a couch. The Vision. What a pretentious name.

"What?" Viktore looks up, eyebrows raised.

"What was Jaq's worst flashback?" Rhodes says slowly, as though Viktore is stupid. "You said this one was the second worst, so what was the worst?"

"The worst one?" Viktore asks, wiping some mustard off of his chin. "I'd have to say it was the first time we went into a drugstore together. I had an awful headache and I took her with me to go get some Advil. It was when we first became vigilantes, before 'Lina and Roe. I couldn't find the Advil in the store, and I didn't feel like asking, so we split up to find it."

"What happened in there?" Sam frowns.

"She never told me." Viktore shrugs. "She came back with the box, but her face was just slack. We went back home, and she hid under the bed. She curled up into a ball and wedged herself between the side of the bed and the wall, kinda lying on the floor. She stayed there, didn't sleep, didn't eat for like three days. The forth morning, she came out, dead eyed and resolute and we fought for nearly an hour. I wouldn't hurt her, and she can't kill me, so that's why it lasted so long. It ended when I hit her head on the wall. She snapped out of it, ate a bowl of soup and we never mentioned it again."

"You never told us that." Rosalinda frowns. Viktore shrugs.

"That's pretty strange." Tony says.

"Considering what she's been through, it's really not." Salina says slowly.

"It kinda still is." Tony smirks. "She's in society again. She needs to get over it."

"Yeah, well, become a tortured international assassin, and you can tell her to get over it." Rosalinda scoffs sardonically.

"I've been tortured." Tony says; his face tight. "And so I can tell her to get over it."

"You were captured and tortured as a direct result of choices _you_ made." Viktore says angrily. "She was made into something she never asked for. You made something to escape and continued to use it afterwards. She was brainwashed and jerked around. You retained your free will. You had to fight your way out of physical captivity **once**. She had to escape physical captivity; cut a freaking tracker out of her **_own_** **_arm_** and she still fights them out of her mind every day of her life. That is something very different."

"You say you two aren't having sex anymore but only a man who wants to continue to get benefits would bother to remember this shit." Tony smirks.

"Every word you say demonstrates your ignorance, Stark." Viktore growls. "Rather than debate like a rational adult, when things don't go your way, you resort to mud-flinging."

"Do you think I kept working on the suit because I wanted to?" Tony asks through clenched teeth. "The world needs me."

"You're so dammed narcissistic." Viktore shakes his head; his lip curled in disgust. "You think if you weren't there, the world would just fold in on itself?"

"It became an obsession, okay?!" Tony's face is turning red, and he sounds like he will either scream or cry. "I couldn't just let it go. It saved my life more times than I can count."

"Exactly." Salina finishes calmly (ever the voice of reason). "It saved your life from people who wanted to kill you and you couldn't just let it go. But neither can she. Neither of you are truly over it; no one who goes through a traumatic experience can get past it very easily. You carry it with you and you help each other cope. You can't tell her to get over it, Tony."

"We have to help her." I tell Wanda.

"Fine." She sighs. "But if something goes wrong, don't blame me."


	10. Chapter 7

**So, because I'm feeling magnanimous, (I passed a really important test today, plus I almost forgot about this story in my excitement) I'll be posting my first double update on this story! My other (also amazing) story, The Leveller, has shorter chapters, but because I spoil my Winter Mist readers with 2,000 word chaps, this is a treat. I'm not sure I have enough written to be going around tossing double updates, but oh, well...**

 **Many thanks to anyone who just my absurdly long A/N, filled with feverish ramblings and shameless self promotion. Enjoy your (two!) chapters!**

 **Some insight on Luk's powers and the Shadow's team dynamics...**

Jaq

"You truly think we can't work together?" I grin at Steve.

"I'm sure you four work together fine, but we need to work on team dynamics. That's why Tony developed this simulation." Steve shrugs, and Luk's thick black eyebrows nearly fly off of his face.

"We work 'fine' together?!" Luk chokes out a laugh. "We work a hell of a lot better together than 'fine'."

"Show us then." Natasha says simply.

"By all means." Nina snorts. "Just powers or weapons only?"

"Powers." Steve says.

"Alright, then fire it up." I say. The four of us step into the large square room and the clear Plexiglas walls change to a picture of a ruined Sokovia. In the center of the room is a large, silver, cylindrical core replica. "I've been here before. In real life, though."

"Hm. Did you like it?" Alex asks.

"As well as could be expected." I shrug. "You guys ready for this?"

"Totally." Nina grins.

"Hell, yeah." Luk cracks his neck and we stand back to back to back to back on all sides of the core.

"There will be one thousand Ultron replicas to destroy." Comes Natasha's voice from thin air. "Good luck."

A hatch opens in the wall and bots start pouring out. I freeze some of them and Luk grabs two, punching through their chests. Alex raises a wind and gusts some of the bots towards Nina, who crumples them with the weight of her…space? I don't know and neither does she. We know that she can hide things, crush things, and move things. It's kinda unexplainable…

"It's about to get chilly in here, guys." I grin. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Luk says. I have Alex start a swirling wind first, bitingly cold, then I let some clouds introduce the snow; slowly enough that the bystanders can still see us. Meanwhile Luk and Nina are still blowing through bot bodies.

"You're just gonna rip them apart, aren't you, Luk?" I laugh.

"Yeah." He smirks, busting a bot's back over his knee.

"Oooh, muy macho." Nina snips.

"Shit, yeah." Luk sneers.

"Rude." Alex reprimands. She always been the most peace loving and polite of all of us. (Considering that the other three of us are total blood-thirsty pigs, it makes Alex a bit above average.) She stops us from ripping each other's throats out most of the time. Three of us are the shortest tempered people, like, ever.

"Volkov. We put you in this simulation to see your actual powers, beyond super strength and invulnerability." Natasha says sternly over the intercom. "Use them."

"Shit." Luk curses, the color draining from his face.

"Hey," I say. I leave Nina and Alex on bot-breaking duty and come around in front of Luk, taking his bearded cheek in my hand. "Look at me; it's okay."

"No, Jaq, I can't…" He runs a hand through his thick hair, and it sticks up all over his head.

"Hey!" I order. "Look at me. It's okay. Take it slow."

"I can't." His voice breaks. "It's been months…I was doing so well, I-"

"Lukis." I smile up at him, sadly. "I'll get you back out of it, okay?"

"What if you can't?" He whispers, his voice breaking. "What if I hurt you guys, or the team?"

"It'll be alright." I say softly, letting his face go. He roughs a hand over his eyes, trying to hide the tears. He's a big, Russian **_man_** after all.

"Okay." He whispers, more to himself than me. "Okay."

The next bot he grabs, he hesitates, then rips open, shaking out his arms. The one after that, he drinks in.

"You good?" I ask him cautiously, freezing a bot that descends to the core.

"Ahhh, yeah." He sighs. He glows a silvery bluish. "I'm ready."

"Got it." Alex says. She stiffens the wind and I make ice cover the floor, so the bots slide when they touch down. "Are you doing okay back there, Vik?"

"For sure!" Luk says, blasting three bots out of the air with a ball of blue energy. His bravado is back and his nervousness is gone; stage one of his personality transformation. "What does Stark power these things with?"

"I dunno, arc reactors or something, why?" Nina says, say, turning four bots into a compacted bot-cube.

"It's **good**." He growls. His voice is thick and guttural; hungry. Stage two.

"Well, good for you." I say. "Gimme a boost, big guy."

He spins quickly. His eyes are wild and the hair on his neck is bristling. He seems even bigger than his 6' 5" height when he gets like this. Although to be fair I am only 5' 3". Lukis puts out his hand and I jump off of it, as he tosses me into the air. I jump onto the back of a passing bot, riding through the air on it like a horse; blasting its compatriots with ice.

By the time the bot I'm on figures out that I've been on its back the whole time, I've destroyed 50 of them. I blast the one I'm on and land next to Nina in a perfect gymnastics stick. I blast another bot and Luk rips one to wire-strung shreds; his eyes ravenous. He leaps up and grabs another bot out of the air, detaching its head with his teeth.

"Luk." I tap him. He grunts and whips his head around to look at me. The look on his face is like that of a feral animal. Stage three. "Jump off of the core. They're coming in groups of ten."

He nods and runs at the core, leaping off and coming down with all ten in the group. He nearly nicks Alex's wing on the landing, but she catches herself and Luk drains all ten bots at the same time and grins wolfishly, licking his chops. He is glowing so brightly now, we have to squint when we look at him.

"You good?" I ask. He growls and nods, crouching to look me in the eye, tipping his head curiously. His knuckles nearly touch the ground like a big gorilla. I smile without showing him my teeth. "C'mon then."

He grunts his affirmation and when the next group of bots comes out of the wall, shooting this time, Luk roars at the top of his lungs. It is a wild sound and he looks angry. That is the final stage, number four. Sometimes I wonder if the serum those doctors made had some of the Hulk's blood in it.

"Hey, hey!" Nina shouts at him. He looks at her, confused. He must think they're shooting for real. I pick up one of the bullets and give it to him.

"They're blanks." I say to him as he sniffs the bullet, feeling it. "They're rubber."

He looks up at the shooting bots. He snarls and bounds over to them, ripping them apart. Alex and I decide to stay near the core, since Luk's on preemptive strike patrol. I blast bot after bot with ice; Luk's enraged growls in the background. I look back as the next wave comes out of their hatch. Luk looks up at the wall, and it's like a light goes on above his head. He backs up and gets a running start, throwing himself all the way up the wall with nimble fingers. He wedges himself in the corner of the ceiling where a small ledge sits, probably for Clint, and grabs the bots as they come out, alternately draining, blasting, and ripping them to their demise.

Nina and I catch whatever strays Luk misses, and Alex flies up to Luk's hidey-hole and helps him take down metal men. We are all fighting in an epic-ly BAMF way, but we're starting to run down, all but Luk. Then finally, the exercise is over and FRIDAY's voice comes over the PA. We just discovered her the other day.

"Exit the training room." She lilts and the picture of Sokovia disappears. The door opens, but Luk still sits on the ledge, sniffing around for bots.

"Vik." Nina says and he looks at her. "It's over. Get down from there."

He huffs through his nose and jumps down, following us outside somewhat sullenly (if a large, overtly hairy man-beast can be sullen.)

"That was…wow." Steve says. The whole team is there, looking equally speechless. Luk is lumbering around the room, sniffing the walls. He's looking for more bots. "Is he gonna stay like this?"

"Hold on." I sigh. I walk over to him. "Lukis. Come here."

He blows shortly through his nose, the air ruffling my curly hair. He shakes his head, but he comes over.

"Sit down, please." I say softly. He frowns and huffs, towering over me, but eventually he sits. He is nearly my height, just seated on the floor. "Give me your hand."

He offers his thick hand; the back of it is covered in stiff black hairs.

"You see this hand?" I ask. "This is a man's hand. You are a man, not an animal."

He snarls deeply, dangerously; showing me his teeth with his deep blue eyes narrowed.

"No." I say firmly. "You are not an animal, you are a man. You need to behave like one. Are you hungry?"

He grunts his assent.

"Come on, then." I say and he stands, half hunched over. "No, stand up straight. You're a man, remember?"

He huffs, but he straightens up anyway.

"I'm gonna get him some food." I say to the team. "Human food instead of energy helps switch his personality back. You can come if you want to, but he'll be a little out of it for a second."

"Lead the way." Natasha says. I take Luk to the kitchen and pull the sandwich I made earlier out of the refrigerator. It's tuna salad, his favorite for some reason. I eat it only when I'm _very_ hungry. I slide the plate down to Alex; and when she puts it in front of him on the counter, he grabs it and starts eating. When he's done, Nina takes the plate.

"There, better?" I ask him.

"Uh, yeah." He replies, his voice hoarse.

"Good." I say to him. I turn to the team. "That's why we all carry so many weapons, so he doesn't have to use his powers."

"We'll remember that." Steve says. He is still quite obviously stunned.

"Did they use the Hulk's blood for your serum?" Dr. Banner asks. He has the same idea as me.

"Uh, I don't really know?" Luk shrugs, his confusion evident. "They didn't really say."

"And I can't take a blood test or anything?" He pleads. Luk looks over at us.

"It's up to you." Nina shrugs.

"I guess you could take one, but you have to destroy it after." Luk frowns. "The blood, I mean."

"Of course." Dr. Banner says. "I'll take it tomorrow morning. Do you mind skipping breakfast?"

"I can do that." Luk says. I'd have to eat right after, though."

"Of course." Dr. Banner nods. "Thank you."


	11. Chapter 8

**And, here's the second one! This time, there's a battle, complete with uselessly humorous coms chatter, and a special guest! Enjoy, and review.**

Jaq

"Lukis." I poke him. "Lukis!"

""Hmm, What?!" He snorts, he raises himself on an elbow, scratching his bare chest; eyes drifting closed. "I'm up…"

"Luk!" I poke him in the neck and he snaps awake, falling out of the bed. His ruffled head of hair comes back up almost instantly.

"I said I'm up, woman." He grumbles irritably. "What's wrong?"

"Your blood test results came back." I say. I love messing with him. Sure enough, he takes the bait.

"You woke me up at…" He fumbles for the clock and grabs it, nearly crushing it in his hand. "Half five, to tell me about a blood test?!" He squeezes the clock and the screen cracks.

"You're part Hulk after all." I pipe, sitting here on the bed with my Mist suit on. Luk glares down at me.

"Damn right." He growls. "I'm tired; I don't feel like playing your game."

"If you think that's the only reason I woke you up, you don't know me at all." I say matter-of-factly. "We've got a mission."

"Whoopee!" Luk rolls his eyes. "What's it for?"

"Another Hydra base." I shrug. "Cap'll give the mission briefing, not me."

"Cool." He sighs, stretching. "Gimme a second."

He pads into the bathroom on bare feet and coms out ten minutes later in his baggy, black Phantom pants and an undershirt, offering me his quiver.

"Can you help me?" He says. I know for fact that he can reach it, but this is our ritual. Alex and Nina helped me get dressed earlier. It's how we show our dependence on each other. Without knowing how much each person is needed to the others, our group would fall apart.

"Of course." I smile and help him slide his arms into the harness. I buckle the straps across his broad chest and he slides his armored outer shirt over his head. He straps on his bandolier, and I help him button his long trench coat and he pulls on his cape.

"You ready now?" I ask teasingly.

"Ya, ya, lead the way, Twinkles." Luk huffs playfully, poking me towards the stairs.

We get to the briefing floor, four floors down, and everyone is either here or arriving at the same time as us. All of them are suited up, waiting for Cap to speak.

"Is everyone ready?" Cap asks. When the whole room has either nodded or voiced their assent, he commences. "Alright, this base is Hydra's international communications system. This is their central nervous system; it's how they contact all the bases around the world. It's also the place where they make deals with governments and other officials."

"Where is it?" Rhodes asks.

"Bogota." Cap says.

"Who's on this one?" Nina asks. "Are we?"

"It'll be the Falcon, Creepy and Breakneck Maximoff, Thor, half of the Shadow children; in this case Jaq and Volkov, me and Cap." Natasha smirks.

"Why is it that you, Thor, the Captain and Sam get your names and we get Creepy and Breakneck?" Pietro frowns.

"Don't even try it." Luk rolls his eyes. "At least your names fit-"

"Hey!" Pietro protests.

"Uh-uh." Luk raises an eyebrow. "We got named after a book for middle schoolers."

"Serves you right." Pietro mutters. "I hef never broken any of my neck. Arms, yes. Legs, yes. Backs, nearly; but no necks."

"Oh, get over it." Natasha rolls her eyes. "The rest of you will watch from here. Barton, you're our coms jockey as well as the voice of clear-headed, by-standing reason."

"Got it, Nat." Clint grins.

"Alright, Avengers. Move out." Cap says. The part of the team that gets to stay, slogs back off to bed; with the exception of the Vision and Barton, who goes to the command center. Those of us who have a mission head to the quinjet bay. We board the aircraft, and in no time we're in the air.

When we land, we creep towards the building.

"Alright, guys; quick in and out." Captain America says. "Natasha's on computers; she's gonna download their system, then blow it sky high. Maximoffs, you two will cover the outside of the building, Shadows, you guys will take care of any indoor forces that crop up. Sam, you're on air patrol; Thor, you'll take any vehicles as well as being the backup muscle if anything goes wrong. I'm with Nat; so let's move out."

We split up, testing our coms.

Phantom: **Can you all hear me?**

Me: **(innocently)** **Of course I can hear you. I'm standing right next to you, Lukis.**

Widow: **Smartass.**

Me: **It's a gift.**

Quicksilver: **We are outside already. Hef you moved into position yet?**

Thor: **Not yet, young Maximoff.**

Falcon: **Showoff.**

Scarlet: **Is not our fault you are slow.**

Phantom: **I hope you know that you're just as 'slow' as us.**

Scarlet: **Am not. That is why I hef Pietro.**

Barton (on base): **Good to know. Now get your lazy asses into position.**

Captain: **(grumbles) You better be glad you're back on base. I don't quite like your tone.**

Quicksilver: **Yes, you should be watching your language, old man. The Captain doesn't like such naughty words.**

Barton: **Oh, shut up, you little asshole.**

Me: **Somehow I feel like 'ass' is the Word of the Day.**

Phantom: **I concur, Mist. We are in position, Captain.**

Captain: **Good. We're moving in.**

We are inside, Luk and I, when the first guard sees us. He shouts a warning before he dies a swift, bullet-induced death. All of a sudden, red lights start flashing and sirens whine.

"Shit." Luk frowns.

Phantom: **Hey, Cap…we, uh, might've accidentally alerted some idiots to our position…**

Captain: **(sighs) Already?**

Me: **(dryly) No need to express such surprise.**

Captain: **Sorry, guys; we were just hoping to stay hidden for more than five minutes.**

Phantom: **Well, sorry we couldn't help with that. You're all probably gonna have company in a few minutes.**

Quicksilver: **Our company (grunts) hes already invited themselfs in.**

Scarlet: **Sam, I just saw a plane pass over us; it may be coming your way?**

Falcon: **(gunshots) All over that one! Take that, Hydra!**

Thor: **I sense the presence of several large, armoured vehicles.**

Widow: **So…you see them?**

Thor: **Indeed. (electrical crackles) But not for long! (explosions)**

Me: **Well. That happened.**

"Damn right." Luk laughs. More guards begin pouring down the corridor and we move into our defensive position, back to back. We pull out weapons, and as the footsoldiers move to take us down, we start shooting and ripping sick MMA combo moves. We are fighting our hardest, and over coms we can hear that everyone else is as well. The crap has officially hit the fan, but although we are doing our best, we are getting a bit bogged down in this narrow hallway, with people pouring from both sides and corpses everywhere.

Then Luk gets shot in the wrist of his dominant hand. He can no longer hold his weapon effectively and he is residually hungry and tired from yesterday's transformation. He doesn't want to use his powers so soon, for fear of losing control, but if he doesn't we will die, what with the way he holds his gun in his off hand. I have to cover his fully open and injured left side, as well as my own sides, since he can't do it for me. The Hydra guards can sense how off we are now, too. I would use my ice, but I get rather single minded when I use my powers, and Luk could get shot again. There's just to many of them.

They advance steadily, like an unceasing wave of Nazi-loving robots; unseeing, unfeeling, as their compatriots are mowed down in front of them. They are close enough to kill us now, and I am running out of handy bullets for my last fully loaded gun. The only ones I have left are in the bandolier under my white leather jacket, but to remove the covering would be to lose my last line of defense; the Kevlar I sewed inside of it.

"It's been fun, Viktore." I say, completely serious.

"We're not gonna die." Luk says, a tad desperately.

"I wish that was true." I smile wistfully, shooting down a Hydra goon that comes around the corner. "You've been the best friend I could ever ask for."

"You too, Jaq." He grins, but I can feel his sadness radiating before he shuts me off from feeling it. It is another little used power of his; the power to prevent an empath or similarly telepathic individual from reading him. Luk, ever the dramatic, then taps his coms.

Phantom: **I am sad to say that although we have put up our best fight, Mist and I have been quite overwhelmed by the Hydra in our quadrant. By the time you are free enough to assist us, we will be dead. It has been a pleasure serving with you, Avengers, and we hope to join you, if possible, in another life. Godspeed, all.**

Widow: **(gunshots) What the hell are you clogging the coms up with this dipshit for, Volkov?**

Me: **I regret to inform you that my partner, Phantom, is not joking. We are nearly out of ammunition, the Hydra soldiers in this area are particularly thick for such a secluded area, and he is wounded. (Gunshots) Our outlook is rather bleak. We thank you for the opportunity you have given us, and we will miss you most ardently. Tell Nina and Alex that we regret breaking our promise to them.**

Barton (on base): **Oh, hell no, you smart-mouthed little shits! You aren't dying today! Damn, I wish I was there!**

Thor: **I refuse to let such fine warriors die, even in such a worthy and illustrious battle!**

Quicksilver: **Screw stupid Hydra! If either of you die, Wanda and I will come in there and bring you back ourselves. We will hef Clint beat you six ways from Sunday for scaring us, then we will come back and kick Hydra's asses before they can even tourn around.**

Barton (on base): **Damn right! You sure as hell better not die! Fight like hell, and don't ever give up!**

Phantom: **We'll try guys. But I think it's over.**

More Hydra comes out then, all at once this time, and I'm sure this is the end of us. I close my eyes in preparation, saying a quick prayer for forgiveness for totally owning this fight and killing God knows how many Hydra. But shots ring out in quick succession, not from either of us and the lead soldiers drop. More shots ring out, machine gun fire this time, giving me the cover I need to dig out my bullets. I do so, and load my gun rather mechanically, I'm ashamed to say. I aim at the remaining soldiers, the mysterious and as-yet-unidentified sniper and I trading off on shots until the wave ceases.

When all the Hydra soldiers are dead for now, the sniper jumps down from wherever he was. He is a tall, muscular, brown haired man holding a snub-nosed semi-automatic handgun. He has one black sleeve and one metal arm, with a red star painted on the deltoid. He is wearing a black half mask that covers his face from the bottom of his chin to the very top of the bridge of his nose. All I can see of his face is his eyes and forehead, but that's all I need.

" _Zima_?" I ask quietly, breathlessly. I step closer. "Is that you?"

"Frost." He says, dropping the gun and pulling off the mask, and that's all it takes. He looks down at me, his blue-green-brown eyes smiling, even without the rest of his face. "It's me."

I grab him by the rim of his hard chest piece and march him around the corner.

"I'll be back." I tell Luk as I pass. He nods, looking very much like passing out as his wrist expels the bullet in it. When we are around the corner, my former protector and lover stares down at me.

"You're as beautiful as I remember." He says quietly. I can't help it. I reach up and slap him full in the face.

"What the hell, _Zima_?!" I glare at him. "I thought you were dead!"

"I'm not dead, Frost." He says calmly, because that's the only tone he's used for over seventy years.

"Obviously!" I snap. "Where were you?!"

"On earth." He frowns. "Obviously."

"You didn't think to contact me?" I rant, already angry enough without him turning my comments back at me. I am as close to hysterical as an international assassin can feasibly be.

"With what contact information?" He snarls, showing the most emotion I've seen from him since immediately after his fiasco with Steve Rogers, at the museum. "The way you left was very spur-of-the-moment! Did you think of how I felt, fresh out of a mind wipe, the only thing I remember being gone?!"

"You were supposed to find me." I say. My voice is quiet and hard. I look at his Kevlar shirt covered abdomen, because I can't bear to look at his face. "You are the best tracker and assassin. You were supposed to leave them and find me."

"I know." He says, and he is quieter too. "I know, and I'm sorry."

"When the flashbacks started," I look away, at the wall. "I needed you, _Zima_." I say finally, and look up at his face.

"I couldn't get away." He says angrily, but not at me. "I couldn't figure out how to break their hold over me and leave. I was never as strong as you were. As you are. I'm **sorry**."

"I'm sorry too, _Zima_." I sigh. "I shouldn't have left you behind."

"It's okay." He smiles slightly, with only one corner of his mouth, like he used to.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, stepping closer. "Hydra's still after you."

"I know." He sighs. "But I had to take down this base."

"Why?" I ask. "We were never kept here."

"This was my debriefing base." He says brokenly and looks away, over my head. "Any mission I failed, anytime I deviated from their orders, they'd torture me here on this base until I couldn't stand. And that says a lot, because you know that I've run on far worse than a beating."

" _Zima_ …" I say sadly. "When you would come back even quieter than usual…"

"It wasn't your fault." He shrugs, still looking over me. "I didn't want to take it out on you."

"I'm so sorry." I shake my head. "I never knew. Those bastards…"

"It's alright." He looks down at me, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. "What matters is that we're together, finally."

"I never got to tell you," I start. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He says slowly. "I could never remember the word. I felt that I had to protect you, but I know now. I love you, too."

I brush my hands over the vast expanse of his Kevlar covered chest.

"Will you stay?" I ask.

"I can't." He looks down and away.

"Why not?" I crane my neck to see his face.

"I'm not ready yet." He shrugs his broad shoulders. "I still have Winter Soldier moments, and they're still hard to escape. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I understand." I nod. "I'll miss you though."

"I'll miss you too." He says it quietly, as though normal volume is too crass for such a delicate statement. "I'm just glad you're alive."

"You, too." I smile, and then I'm in his arms and we're kissing, four years of pain, passion and longing unbridled there. I slide my hands up his hard chest and over his strong shoulders, hooking an arm around his neck.

He leans into me, pressing me back against the wall behind me. I slide my hand up the back of his neck, tangling my fingers in his thick, overlong brown hair. His fingers; metal and flesh alike, slide around my waist, pressing into my sides in an embrace similar to the ones before, too tight to be comfortable, but too comforting to end. When we finally break apart, both gasping for air he smirks, leaning his metal arm into the wall next to my head, his flesh arm still holding me.

"You've still got it." I laugh, breathless and the slightest bit dizzy.

"You know it, doll." He winks.

"And you won't come?" I try again. The mirth eases out of his smile, leaving only wistfulness and the tiniest bit of nostalgia.

"Naw." He sighs. "It's not my time yet. But if you ever need me, I'll find you."

"I don't doubt that." I smile.

"Hey," He says. "Even though I can't be _with you_ ; y'know I still love you, right?"

"I know." I smile, rubbing the back of his neck in small circles. "I love you too, and I know why you feel like you can't come. I just wish you'd see that you deserve to be an Avenger just as much as I do, if not more."

"Eventually." He grins softly down at me. "I'll get there eventually."

"I know that too." I raise an eyebrow wryly. "I'll be waiting for you when you get there."

"I wouldn't want anybody else." He teases, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

"Oh really?" I smirk. "Well, I may have to fight Steve over it."

"He'll be okay." He pauses, lingering at my ear. "I want more than we got."

"What 'more'?" I laugh into his chest. "We pretty much had it all covered."

"I wanna do it right this time. You'll see just how right when it's time." He says. "I mostly wanted to reassure you that my return isn't just some open-ended promise. If the Avengers'll have me, I'll be there."

"They'll have you." I grin. "I'll make sure of it."

"Well, I'm so serious, even if they don't want me, I'll come anyway." _Zima_ says quietly. There are voices approaching, coming down the hallway. "I'll see you again soon, but I have to go." He says. He leans down, kissing me breathless again, and he is gone.

"That was the corniest, most clichéd hero's goodbye ever." I roll my eyes to myself. "And you say you wouldn't make a good Avenger. Hmph."


	12. AN 3

Hey guys. I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was crazy busy studying, and by the time I remembered it was super late, so I'm here today.

Now, this is super important! Winter Mist is entering a new chapter (pun totally intended...). It's the beginning of the end of this story. I will do a sequel if that's what you guys want, and there will be a drabble series, no matter what. But the thing is, this story has been more 'getting to know you' type up until now. That's over. The Shadows are Avengers now, so I'm breaking out the angst. In case you hadn't noticed, Jaq has a pretty dark past. That will come into play. If there's anything I think needs a warning, I will put it. I'm keeping the rating T because I don't write graphically.

On a lighter note, I'm posting a oneshot, Don't Look Now. It is imperative that you read this in order to understand the next chapter of this story. The oneshot is taking the place of the chapter, (jerky, I know ;) and it's part of the reason I was late. It wasn't done.

Enjoy, and I'll be back next week.


	13. Chapter 9

**Since I love you all, I'm giving you a** ** _real_** **chapter. On time, no less! Aren't I a good little dictator? lol. No, seriously though, this chapter is the turning point of the story. I'm introducing a new character, (not really new; hope you did your homework, reading Don't Look Now. If you didn't, I'd suggest you Go Look Now. [pun totally intended]) and this story's going to get darker. Nothing too bad, so don't worry. WINTER SOLDIER WILL BE BACK! Since this story is arguably Bucky centric, I couldn't very well let him stay away. In case anyone's confused, Zima Soldat, or most often just Zima, is Winter Soldier in Russian a.k.a. Bucky Barnes.**

 **Thank you for reading this laughably long A/N. As a reward, enjoy the chapter. If you didn't read it, I have a shorter one at the end. YOU CAN"T ESCAPE!**

Jaq

"So you were talking to…him?" Luk asks, looking up from his bandaged wrist. It's been two days since our party was rescued and carted out of the base by Thor, just in time for Nat to blow the place. We have just gotten back to Avengers Tower; since we had to make sure we didn't have any tails. During that time, the Maximoffs mysteriously left. Although they could be back by now; me and Luk have been in the infirmary since we got back. After _Zima_ left, I twisted my ankle something awful. I tried to tell them I was fine, but Cap wasn't having it.

"Yeah." I sigh. "Oh, Luk, it was just like it used to be; except, y'know, minus the mind control and puppetry."

"Yeah, I know." He laughs. "You wanna go down, or what?"

"Sure." I grin. Nothing can drag me down. "Why not?"

We leave the room and head down to the common floor. The Maximoffs are still not back from wherever they disappeared to the other day. Cap is standing up and he motions us over with a smile. Alex and Nina meet us on our way into the room.

"How was the mission?" Nina asks.

"It was great." I sigh.

"Great?" She frowns.

"I'll tell you later." I whisper.

"Alright." Alex hooks an elbow around Nina's, leading her into the room(a bit against her will).

"What's up, Cap?" Luk asks. I scan the room as we sit. Still no Maximoffs.

"We have another mission." Cap answers. "We've got intel that a school in Harlem is the next target for a plot by the last vestiges of Hydra and some hireling Extremis fighters."

"Why would they attack a school?" Clint asks. He is more than a little angry that Hydra's targeting a school. It must have something to do with his kids. He thinks about them a lot.

"We're not sure yet." Natasha shrugs. "We know that the school is in the middle of a bit of a power struggle between two rival gangs."

"Why are they power struggling?" Sam asks. Harlem is his town. "Turf?"

"No, prejudice." Cap shakes his head; his jaw clenched. "One gang is made of foster kids, and the other one has kids with parents and homes."

"That's not cool." I frown.

"We know." Natasha says. "The first is the Draggers gang, run by one Grant Newhart. He's a kid with a disturbingly clean domestic record but clear ties to Hydra."

"The kid's Hydra?" Tony asks incredulously. "How does that happen? Does he even go to the school?"

"Well, yes and no." Cap says. "He graduated two years ago. The other gang is the Blades, run overall by a former foster child, also two years graduated, named Cyrus Hander."

"What do you mean, 'run overall'?" Bruce asks.

"That's the thing." Natasha answers. "The gang's leader is Hander, but the ruler of the school is his second in command, Jak Ortiz, a senior with four counts of weapons possession and a disturbance of the peace charge."

"Really?" Luk snorts. "I always thought those were the dumbest things."

"Yeah?" Natasha raises an eyebrow. "Well, his was for a brawl that originated in Ortiz removing two fingers from the left hand of a non-gang affiliated student and ended with him catching a pellet in the ear from a sawed off shotgun."

"So his name is Jak, huh?" I laugh.

"Yeah." Cap says. "Not his real name. His real name is Dante Eduardo Ortiz."

"So why Jak?" Alex asks.

"That's the funny part." Natasha grins. "His nickname originated from his reputation as a notorious flirt and seducer. The word is that he can get anyone into bed with him, female or male. So, as the story runs, Hander nicknamed him Jak when he first joined out of the belief that he should jack off more, in lieu of screwing everyone. Thus the name."

"Did he listen?" I ask.

"No." Cap laughs. "The word on him still stands."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Sam asks.

"Well, the Maximoff twins had their first day at this school today, posing as seniors to find Ortiz and stop Extremis." Cap says.

"Okay, not to be paranoid or anything, but I feel like we're focusing on this kid for more than his ironic name similarities to our Jaq." Nina raises an eyebrow. "So, what's the real story?"

"We don't think he's who he says he is." Natasha sighs. "The kid's been in records since before records were a thing. He's everywhere. SHIELD was investigating him before it went down, which is probably how Hydra found him."

"And?" Alex crosses her arms. "Can't there be more than one Ortiz appearance without SHIELD getting antsy?"

"Of course." Cap shrugs. "But not if everywhere there's an Ortiz appearance, there's an incident similar to others in a long line. Besides, that's not even his real name."

"You sure?" Luk asks. "'Cause you don't sound sure."

"We think it's an alias." Clint pipes up. "He's started using it in Spain in the year 1523."

"Don't you mean 1923?" Nina asks.

"No." Natasha says. "1523."

"So he's almost 500 years old?!" Alex's jaw drops.

"He's far older than that." Clint chuckles, and I reach over to close Alex's mouth. "That was when he first changed his name. Before that, he was Erik Torstein Ulfson."

"What kinda name is that?" Nina wrinkles her nose.

"Many of the Avengers were puzzled; as was I." Thor says. "That is, until I recalled a young boy, the half-Midgardian son of a palace guard with the same name. He was a ward of my brother's. Loki taught him many things, for the boy was a silver tongue and fire element. My brother taught the boy how to control himself, and after he saved Loki's life in battle, my brother performed a spell that made him full Asgardian. Five years later, when young Erik was but twenty, he left to reconnect with his Midgardian roots."

"So Ortiz is Asgardian?!" Luk gapes.

"Half." Thor answers. "But yes. By my count, it was the year 1024 in Midgard when Erik left Asgard."

"1024." I nod with a soft whistle. "That's pretty far back."

"So what?" Alex says suspiciously. She dislikes nosy government organizations. "The man's Asgardian, he's been alive since year one and he has powers. Why are you guys trying to detain him?"

"We also think he's the vigilante superhero Flame." Cap doesn't miss a beat.

"How original." Nina mutters dryly.

"I know right." Natasha scoffs, and Alex brushes her fingers over the back of her neck, hidden by her shirt collar. I know she's feeling the words there. She's one of the few soul mated individuals left on earth. She hasn't met her soulmate yet, but she showed me her words a while ago.

Wha-? Are you an angel? Are you here to send me to Hel? I do deserve it, I guess.

"So what?" I ask. "If we find this guy; if he's who you say he is…then what?"

"We need him." Cap says. "He'd be a great addition to the team."

"Well, **_that_** sounds familiar." Luk grumbles.

"So we're gonna make every schmo with powers an Avenger?" Rhodes frowns.

"No." Clint scoffs. "Just this schmo, apparently."

"Fine." Luk says. "When are we gonna pick him up?"

"After Extremis attacks, of course." Natasha smirks. "Gets more done that way."

"The Maximoffs should return from school soon. It is two forty-five." The Vision notes.

"Yep, so they should have a good report for-." Cap is cut off by something buzzing annoyingly on the end table. He leans over and picks it up. It is a phone. He answers it and listens for a second, then puts it on speakerphone. "Go ahead, Pietro."

There is a brief crackling sound, followed by a deep voice shouting hoarsely, then Pietro's hurried words fill the receiver.

"Extremis attacked today, and we found Ortiz. We have both of them in custody, and we are five minutes away from the tower."

"Alright." Cap says. "Good job. Where's your sister?"

"Right here." Pietro says, then there is more rustling.

"Hello, Captain?" Wanda's voice comes through the speaker.

"Wanda." Clint says. "What happened?"

"The day started out fine." Wanda says tiredly. "But everything went downhill after second to last period. We were in an assembly, and Extremis and Hydra blew a hole in the roof of the school. They had guns, and one of them took a girl hostage; then Ortiz freed her and the man blew up."

"Who blew up?" Tony frowns. "Ortiz?"

"The Extremis fighter." Wanda sighs, and I can almost hear her roll her eyes. "We have just deposited the Hydra leader of the fighters in the detention level. We are on the elevator to the common room."

"Alright, Wanda." Cap says. "We'll see you when you get here."

"I cannot do this." Thor mutters and leaves swiftly. Alex follows him, taking three steps to his one. She has been hanging out with him lately, and she sees him as a bit of a big brother.

Cap hangs up the phone and turns to Stark.

"We have a detention level?"

"Hm. I figured it'd come in handy." Stark shrugs. "Admittedly, I figured it come more in handy for sleeping off drunken binges than for Hydra scum; but I guess it can go either way."

"You're a mess." Natasha rolls her eyes.

"So they say. But at least I'm a hot one." Stark smirks, and the elevator opens behind him. He turns around and laughs shortly. "Well, would you look at that?"

Getting off the elevator is Pietro, wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, and a pair of jeans so skinny; I can practically **_hear_** Nina drooling. Behind him is Wanda, looking every bit the nineteen year old she is and I send Luk a wry mental warning about consorting with minors. (The very physical glare he shoots back nearly sends me into a laughing fit. Nearly…) And behind Wanda is Ortiz, I assume.

He is a tall, dark haired person with a five 'o' clock shadow beard that only adds to his aura of satisfied exhaustion. He is wearing a pair of black jeans, a checked fedora and a white tie along with a pressed black button down and an equally checked front vest. He has dark eyes, and a tattoo of a winged helmet and horned helmet face to face on his neck. He is lean and strong looking, though not nearly as thickly muscled as Thor. But he is certainly Asgardian. He exudes the same quiet confidence that they are typically credited with.

"Well." I smirk, tousling Pietro's already crazy hair. "How was your first day of school, children?"

"Passable, Mom." Pietro grins.

"You're such a butt." I roll my eyes.

"Hm." Pietro says mock-thoughtfully. "I need to go find a comeback for that."

"You do that." I smirk, then turn to Ortiz. "And you."

His thick eyebrows shoot up, and he points a finger at his chest as if to say, 'me?'. I nod.

"Yeah, you." Cap says. "You helped stop Extremis?"

"Yes." He says. His voice is low and gravelly.

"Why?" Natasha asks him.

"They took Tuck." He says simply. He has a faint accent; partially Hispanic but mostly fading Asgardian. He sounds like a mixture between Thor and a Mariachi singer.

"Who's Tuck?" Tony asks. Ortiz's face pulls into a frown, then he shrugs lightly.

"Natalie." He says. Then, with a bit of a challenge, "You don't know her."

"True enough." Tony shrugs back.

"Enough small talk." Ortiz straightens and frowns for real this time, and he looks a lot less like a high school student and more like an Asgardian. "Why the hell am I here?"

"We know who you are." Cap says simply.

"Oh. The whole gang thing?" Ortiz raises an eyebrow. "Are you gonna arrest me?"

"We know who you **really** are." Natasha sighs. "Erik."

"Wha-?" Ortiz takes a step back. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Thor says. He was in the other room when Ortiz arrived, but his presence makes Ortiz pale a few shades. Alex hasn't come back yet.

"Prince Thor." Ortiz says, and judging by the look on his face after he hears his own words, that phrase was sheer habit.

"Erik." Thor nods, as though they'd just met again. "How have you been?"

"Quite fine, sir." Ortiz says, as though in a trance. He pauses, then shakes his head and he's back again. His voice sounds haunted. "What do you all want from me?"

"We want you to be an Avenger." Cap says.

"I'd say you have enough of those." Ortiz smirks, glancing around the room. "I'd rather not impose."

"If you don't, you're going to jail." Natasha challenges.

"What, for my weapons?" Ortiz unbuttons the bottom of his vest and lifts the side of his shirt, revealing toned torso and the handle of a gun. He drops the shirt and holds out his hands. "Arrest me. Please."

"That's not an option." Cap shakes his head.

"You just said it was!" Ortiz tosses his hands in the air and throws his head back. "Make up your mind!"

"We have." Cap continues calmly. "You're joining the Avengers."

"No!" Ortiz shouts. His shouting voice has a thicker Asgardian accent. "I can't be an Avenger! Don't you get that?!"

"You must join." Thor says softly. "We need you."

"I cannot." Ortiz throws Thor a heated glare. "And you do not."

"Why?" Thor asks.

"I have had enough war to last a lifetime." Ortiz says, raking a hand through his thick hair. "And I've had far too many of those as it is. I swore never to fight again after Loki…"

"That is past." Thor says gently.

"He taught me everything, and he betrayed me!" Ortiz shouts.

"My brother died valiantly, saving my life." Thor growls. "It would do you well to watch your tongue."

"If you believe that he died, you are as dull as he insisted." Ortiz mutters to the ground.

"What have you said?" Thor breathes dangerously, his face darkening in anger.

"If you believe that, you are as dull as Loki always insisted!" Ortiz repeats doggedly, loud enough for the whole room to hear. The whole room falls silent in shock, but that doesn't last long. Thor is across the room in an instant, just a flash of dark armor and red cape before Ortiz is on the wall, lightning fast, brick heavy blows being rained down on his face and body.

"Thor!" Cap yells. "Put him down!"

Thor complies, stepping back, and Ortiz falls in a boneless, bloody heap on the floor. Thor stands over him, still seething.

"If you defame my brother's memory again, you shall rue it." Thor growls darkly. Ortiz looks horrible; his lips are split, his eyes are black, and his face is one big bruise. But he smirks, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth from a cut cheek.

"Loki is a liar, a backstabber, and a cheat." He gasps. "And Asgard suffers from your blindness."

Thor roars, a wild fearsome sound, and suddenly Alex is there. She gets in-between Ortiz, who is laughing softly, and Thor, who looks about ready to rip his fellow Asgardian's head off.

"Thor." Alex says softly. "Please stop."

There is a tense moment where everyone waits to see if Thor will toss Alex aside and continue pounding Ortiz, (in which case, we Shadows would have something to say) or listen to her words. He grunts and relents, glaring down at the pile of flesh that is Ortiz.

"Only because she wishes it, will I stop this. But make no mistake; one wrong move…" Thor shakes his head, choosing to leave the sentence unfinished, and leaves again. Alex's shoulders slump and she turns to Ortiz behind her. Her wings stretch out in a physical sign of her relief. Ortiz cracks one swollen eye open and looks up at her. He's lying in her shadow from the overhead light, and I crack a small grin at the corniness of this moment.

Then he speaks and my smile melts away.

"Wha-? Are you an angel? Are you here to send me to Hel? I do deserve it, I guess." He says brokenly. It's Alex's soul words. The shock on her face is evident, and she takes a step back.

"You?" She whispers. "I can't believe it. Of all the people in the world, it had to be **you**?" His face displays shock too, then. But she is gone. She's so upset she doesn't even bother with running. She flies right into the door to the stairwell and she is upstairs faster than I could ever run. Ortiz grunts as he tries to struggle to his feet, but judging by the agony on his face with every move; he probably has a few broken ribs.

Nina pushes through the gaping Avengers and stops in front of Ortiz, crouching in front of him.

"Hold still." She says it quietly; but her voice prickles. Not at him; Nina simply has no patience for useless conflict and Ortiz's condition disgusts her. She looks him over briefly, then places her hand on his torso. That is obviously the place with the most damage because Ortiz stifles a groan at her touch and winces.

Nina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her hand glows white and the light seeps into Ortiz's injuries. It courses through him like liquid fire, leaving tracks of light that fade as they heal. Soon Ortiz looks new again and Nina stands. She nearly falls and Luk reaches for her, but Pietro is there. He catches her as she stumbles and sits her down.

A second later, she pushes him away (gentler than she normally would for such a display) and stands.

"Get up." She commands Ortiz, who has been checking himself over. "Go find her."

Ortiz doesn't need to ask who. He stands and leaves swiftly. Cap turns to Nina.

"You have healing powers?" He asks.

"Yes." She answers quietly.

"Why didn't you-" He starts, but Nina cuts him off sharply.

"What?" She snaps. "Tell you? Frankly, it's none of your business."

"You could help people." Bruce tries gently, but Nina whips her head towards him glaring fiercely.

"I'm more than a medic." She growls.

This is a sensitive spot for her. She can't stand to see brutalization; it reminds her of her past. So she refuses to be a medic unless the cause is urgent. But, beneath her tough exterior, Nina has a good heart so she'll help anyone. Whether it's urgent or not.

This wouldn't be a problem, except Nina has two sets of powers, the ones she was born with, and the ones she was given. The healing powers she was given. They were made from an extremely unstable chemical compound injected in her by her own father.

But they had a catch. They take a lot out of her every time she uses them, and overuse will kill her. She's dying just having that crap in her system. So we don't take missions that have the possibility of civilian casualties. Nina will always, always help. She even brought someone back from the edge of death once. And then passed out. Luk had to carry her back, and she was unconscious for two days. We thought she was gonna die.

"Civilians could die because of your selfishness." Tony says casually. "And I'm the king of selfishness."

"It's not selfishness." I roll my eyes. I honestly can't take it anymore.

"Jaq…" Nina says in the softest voice I've ever heard her use. "It's okay."

"No, it's kinda, extra, _really_ not okay." I grit my teeth. "She's not being selfish, Stark. She could die." I step over to Stark, getting in his space. "And I am kinda, extra, really **tired** of watching people I love die because of expectations put on them by people like **_you_**."

"What are you talking about, people like me?" Stark looks offended, as he very well should be. It was a personal insult, after all.

"Rude, overbearing, pompous, self-aggrandizing, _selfish_ people like you." I seethe.

"Oh, really?" Stark says loftily. "I've saved people's lives."

"And destroyed them." I snap. "Does the name 'Merchant of Death' ring a bell?"

"I told Speedy, and I'll tell you: that was never my life." Stark says through clenched teeth. He's getting mad.

"No, it wasn't!" I'm getting mad too. "Because you were too busy screwing bimbos to give a shit about your own company!"

"But I made it right." Stark shouts.

"You can never make it right!" I shout back. "People are dead because of you! You can't bring them back! You can only atone and pray their families forgive you!"

"Maybe I killed people, okay?!" Stark's face is red and he is so angry, it literally hurts. "But I saved other people. A concept you are probably unfamiliar with, being Hydra and all…!"

"Oh, hell no." I laugh harshly. "You are **not** about to bring up Hydra; like I had any choice in the matter!"

"Tony has a point, Jaq; you were Hydra." Cap says slowly. "And part of being an Avenger is putting civilians before self. Your friend has to understand that."

"Really, Cap? You too?" I raise my eyebrows. "And it's Tony now, huh?"

"Cap's right." Bruce says.

"How dare you." I narrow my eyes at them. "All of you. None of you get it, do you? People are important, yes; and they are what we're here to protect. But what if the thing that you're using to keep them alive is killing you? Then what, huh?"

"Then we pass on the mantle." Cap says simply.

"And what if the person you pass it to is secretly out to kill the people instead of save them? You're familiar with Project: Paperclip, aren't you Captain? 'Passing on the mantle' is what caused the fall of SHIELD." I scoff.

"You probably had a hand in it." Stark bites.

"Shut up, Stark." I snap. "You're such an disparaging bastard. Always tossing insults, thinking you can do no wrong. You made the suit, but who are you without it?"

"Genius, Billionaire, Play-" Stark starts.

"Playboy, philanthropist; I know." I snip. "I've heard your little spiel before. And I didn't say under it, I said _without_ it."

"Why don't you see who I am in it?" Stark growls, calling the suit. I knew he would, it's like his security blanket.

"Oh, put that thing away." I roll my eyes. I really don't give one now. "I'm not scared of a chunk of metal."

"You should be." Stark says lowly. He raises a repulsors and moves to fire at me, but Luk and Cap step in the way. Everyone else in the room is silent and refuses to interfere; a fact I find interesting. Not shocking, though. Anyone who would help is absent. Luk faces Stark, ready to rip him out of the weaponized suit; while Cap faces us, his face imploring us to turn down.

"You really don't want to do that." Luk bites out at Stark. I feather my fingers down the small of his back, a cool-down technique we developed, and his tense shoulders fall slightly.

"It's fine, Luk." I smirk, retaining my belligerence. "I don't want to fight you, Stark."

"You sure acted like it." Cap frowns.

"Did I say it?" I raise an eyebrow. "I rarely playact when I want something. If I wanted a fight, I would've started one. ** _I don't want to fight you, Stark_**."

"Okay." Stark flips up his headpiece and rolls his eyes with a huff. "You know what, that's cool. Uh, yeah; I think we're done here… Let's just take five?" And he clanks off to his workshop, where Bruce had undoubtedly taken refuge after Nina snapped at him. I grin into Luk's shoulder. I secretly think that this is how Stark and I bond. Fighting at every turn. At any rate, it's a nice rush at least.

 **See, look at that! Wasn't that cool?**

 **Same old Tony vs Jaq conflict, an additional power for Nina, and a new romance! How's that? Also, don't know if you caught it, but there was an allusion to the MCU with Loki being alive. (I've been totally ignoring the MCU with this story, unlike The Leveller, where everything's on track.) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that, PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **I know it's hard, and you just wanna move on, and I don't even care if I know who you are. Any feedback is appreciated! Reviews are beautiful things that authors really appreciate. Thank you, and see you next week.**


	14. Chapter 10

**Aaaaand, here we are again with a new chapter! Got some nice romantic feels for our favorite soulmates. Now, important news: there are only two more chapters before the big plot twist, and this is one of them. Things are gonna get exciting and emotional; not to mention I'm running out of prewritten chapters. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

Dante

I have no clue what the short dark haired girl did to me, but I am grateful. I charge up the stairs, ignoring the argument brewing on the other floor.

"Salina!" I shout up the stairs, stopping outside the first door on the first landing. I'll go through this whole tower if I have to. I wonder, dimly, how I know her name. I suppose I can just feel it. She is my soul mate, after all. "Salina, are you there? I must speak with you!"

There's no answer, but I notice that I'm losing my current language. Just that brief contact with Thor brought back the priss-ass language of Asgard I've worked so hard to shed. Soon I'll start speaking Old Norse fluently again. Urgh. Stupid Thor, can't he see? I have so much to tell him…that can wait. I have to find her.

"Salina?" I plead now. "Answer me, please?"

"Go away." A small, broken voice drifts from the door I stand at.

"No." I say, and I go in. She lies on the bed, face down on the covers. Her beautiful, shimmering wings cover her like a blanket. "Salina?"

"Don't call me that!" She comes off the bed with surprising speed. Then she's in front of me. I thought she was gorgeous the moment I saw her, out of everyone in the room. But here, this close, I can see just how flawless she is. Even beaten down, her face tear streaked and saddened; her brown eyes swimming with tears, she is fierce and strong.

"What shall I call you, then?" I say softly.

"I don't know." She falters. "Nothing."

"What have I done to grieve you so?" The wording spills from my mouth like water from an overflowing jug, but I let it. This is me. I can't change it, try as I might; and I need to accept that. "What can I do to make it better?"

"You didn't do anything…" She huffs, starting to pace. "I just-I don't know what to think! You're amazing, but I…of all the people in the world, why is my soulmate a 1,000 year-old Asgardian who was the best friend of Thor's evil brother? I mean, that makes no sense to me."

"Evidently, whoever saddled us together thinks we can help one another." I smile with one corner of my mouth. "Do you think you can help me oblige them?"

"I think I could." She says seriously, turning to face me. Then she turns suddenly shy. "Do you think I could see your words?"

"Of course, Princess." I pull up my sleeve and she brushes her fingers over the blue words on my forearm. She nods, then looks up at me curiously.

"Princess?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"You didn't want me to call you be your name." I shrug.

"How _did_ you know my name?" She frowns slightly. "Did Jaq tell you?"

"Jaq?" I laugh.

"My friend." She huffs at me. "Curly hair, skin a little lighter than mine, blue eyes?"

"Yeah, I know now. But no." I grin. "I just knew, I guess."

"Hm." She says, then turns, scooping hair away from the back of her neck. At first, I don't know what she's doing; until I catch a glimpse of my own handwriting on the skin of her neck in white.

I breeze my fingertips over the scrawl, hoping my touch sends as many electric shivers down her spine as hers did to mine. As if to prove my point, she shudders, so imperceptible I wouldn't have felt it if I hadn't been touching her. She whirls on me, her eyes searching mine.

"I want to take this slow." She says seriously. "We already have the one up on most couples, because we know we belong together and we are tied together by our souls, but I want to take this slow." She looks down for an instant, then pins me with her gaze again. "You are my first relationship. I know I'm not your first, but you are mine. And as a result, I want to do this right."

"I understand." I smile down at her. "And the Bonding?"

"Oh…yes." And she does something completely unexpected; she _blushes_. I suppose I should tell you that Bonding is the first sexual intercourse between two soul mated individuals.

It's a pretty big deal, since afterwards, the two soul mates are bonded together for all eternity. And from then on, no one else will be able to fill the part of the other soul mate. This virtually eliminates soul mated individuals cheating on one another. Handy.

Which is part of why I want us to bond soon. I'm a womanizer by nature. I'd like to stop myself before I start this time. I've just met her, but this girl makes me want to renounce the player's handbook right where I stand. The other reason is, although I've just met her, Salina ignites something in me that I've never felt. Not lust, something more than passion; I wouldn't call it love yet, but pretty damn close. Oh, yes; indeed.

"We'll get there." She says softly; reverently. She holds the Bonding in honor. A fusing of two souls if you will. Her perspective is refreshing in every way.

"I know." I say just as quietly. I take her hand. "How slow do you want to go?"

"Slow enough that I feel like I'm retrieving the missing half of my life when we…Bond." She says. The thought of Bonding, maybe with me, maybe just in and of itself, turns her into a blushing schoolgirl. But that's okay.

"Agreed." I say huskily. I bring her hand up and kiss it softly. "I'm following your lead. I'd follow you anywhere, Princess."

 **I am aware that this chapter is extremely irrelevant to the current plot, but once this story is over, any sequel I write will feature these two. If you're sitting here saying, 'Who the hell is this Dante person?', please keep in mind that he used to be called Jak. If you don't know who Jak is, read Don't Look Now. There's a link in my profile.**

 **I may or may not write out the Bonding scene between these two. It's most likely gonna be 'may not', since smut isn't really my thing. But since fanfiction readers live for smut between their favorite characters, a lost opportunity for smut between two OCs won't cause many tears. (If anyone else wants to write it,** ** _[fanfics about a fanfic, lol]_** **just give me credit for the OCs. Unlike Avengers, I own those characters.)**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! I'm serious this time. Favorites are great. Follows are even better. But I really need reviews. Without feedback, I can't fit my writing to your needs. Even if you never review, review. Even if you're a guest, review. Even if you're five hundred years in the post-apocalyptic future, just now stumbling upon this primitive forum, freaking review, dang it!**

 **Thank you. I'm sorry for how late in the day this is.**


	15. Chapter 11

**Hello! It's another fabulous day on , and we have a new chapter today!**

 **Actually we have two. I promised this was the last week before the big twist, and it is. But I had two chapters that you guys need to read, so...DOUBLE UPDATE! This is only the second double update, so it's kind of a big deal...**

 **This is** **by far** **, my favorite chapter. Bet you can't tell who's perspective it's from...**

 **PM me if you think you've got a guess. As ever, Read, Review, and Enjoy.**

 **The theme song for this chapter depends on your mood. if you hink this should be a sappy chappie, I'd go with Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran. I think it fits. But if you're feeling more introspective, listen to AM by one Direction. (I'm not a fan of the band, but it's a good song.)**

Unidentified Third-Person

He shouldn't have lost himself.

He shouldn't be _allowed_ to lose himself.

Her voice echoes in his head, telling him that it's okay; that he couldn't control what Hydra did to him, but…

He hates it. He hates being a pawn in their sick game. He hates being nothing more than a moving gun. (Because, deep down, he doesn't think he deserves to be describes as 'alive'.)

He is going to find himself, for her. Even if it takes him years, he won't come back as a half man. She deserves more than that.

Even in Hydra, at their lowest, when they didn't even recognize each other and they were basically tossed at one another; she was always level headed. It was an innate strength, that even years (decades?) of brainwashing couldn't erase.

He hadn't thought much of her when they'd first brought her in. He was an assassin, after all. What use did he have for children? He'd effectively forgotten about her existence until she was nearly a teenager and he had to train her. He had been impressed. She was good for her age. Not as good as him, but that came with time.

After she'd cleared Hydra's standard, she started going on missions with him. Unlike him, they hadn't wiped her mind. Not at first. She was good at missions from the start, and too young to rebel. As time went on, she only got better. But Hydra's bright minds decided she'd be better utilised breeding a new generation of super soldiers; especially since her family line had a history of special powers.

They'd moved her into his cell. They hadn't even told him. (Like that was new. They never told him anything.) He had been on a mission. Nothing special, just a routine assassination. (Even now, that felt _wrong_ to think.)

She had been waiting in his room like a surprise gift. (Great job on your mission! Here's a **_girl_** …)

He'd been surprised when they didn't immediately put him in cryo freeze, but he'd been even more surprised when he found her in his on again/off again cell. She'd been sitting there, staring at the wall like it was the only thing worth seeing, and when he'd stepped in, she'd stared at him the same way; like she could see straight through to what was left of his soul. It had almost hurt to meet her gaze. And it had hurt even more to talk to her. But even he hadn't forgotten the principles of polite conversation. That's what one does with other people. Conversate.

So he talked to her. It was awkward, but she was understanding. He wasn't used to talking. Just killing and receiving orders. Her presence; caring, unrushed, and completely low-key was unfamiliar to him. (She was so good at blending with the culture of the room, it gave him chills. That was probably why **_she_** went on the missions that involved infiltration…)

Had a member of Hydra been there, they would have forced him to make a move on her. But he couldn't, because assassin or not, a small, long buried part of his brain remembered his ma. He was by no means a virgin, but his ma had always told him to get to know a girl first. (Which was pretty forward in the forties.) He may have changed, but he still couldn't just pin this girl to the wall and take her. (He _could've_ , but the point was that it wouldn't have been very polite.)

He refused to sleep with her that day. It was his first act of defiance against Hydra and it first excited, then embarrassed him. So eventually he left, because embarrassment was (also) unfamiliar to him.

After he left, he had been set upon and beaten with instructions to just screw her already. (Because of course they had cameras, and of course there was someone waiting to watch them make baby super soldiers. Perverts.) They had sent him back, bruised but not broken, and he'd entered that cell on a new mission.

She'd seen the look on his face and she hadn't run; she'd just let him back her into the corner. And when he'd paused, unable to do what he'd previously been so set on, she'd touched his chest and told him that it was alright, and that he could do what he had to do.

And if that didn't melt him, he didn't know what did. Thus began their romance: born from necessity, and fueled by both of their passion. The scientists in the compound had figured out that relationship units like the one Hydra wanted were easier to achieve when both participants were fully invested.

After they heard that (enlightening, and not **at all** obvious) finding, they'd suspended his cryo freezings and mind wipes. And as a result, when she'd gotten pregnant, he was proud and happy and excited and a thousand other emotions that he'd thought he'd lost. They were going to leave Hydra in the dead of night; because he'd figured out that there was no way he was leaving his family to Hydra's devices.

But Hydra had found out. (Again, when had they not?) And they'd tested the baby for the traits they wanted. When there had been no traits, they ended it. Then they'd wiped him and set him on her.

He still regrets his weakness. He should've resisted; he should've tried harder. He'd almost killed her that day. On the better side, Hydra scrapped the junior super soldier program because of its ineffectiveness. He was glad that at least his future children would be safe, especially if he didn't have them. He knew she wanted kids later, when they were out of Hydra, but he also knew she'd understand if he didn't want to.

She was strong.

She had always been strong. Even when they experimented on her, poked and prodded and cut and stitched and electrocuted until he wanted to strangle them all; one by one, so he could relish in their screams like they did in hers.

Even when they drained him of nearly half of all his blood, the pain couldn't even touch what he'd felt when they'd injected her with it, and she'd screamed loud enough to fry him and freeze him at the same time as her wounds healed from the serum.

He would do anything for her, even then (and not just because he'd been ordered to), and he still would. So he would do this for her too. He find himself, then he'd come back to her.

He'd come back, and when he did…

No one would ever tear them apart.

 **Ta-Da! Hope you liked that. Lot of feels; lot of backstory. I think it's pretty obvious whose head this is in, but if you really can't get it, I'll PM you the answer. There's gonna be at least one more chapter from this POV, so you'll have more chances lmao.**

 **In other news...THIS STORY'S GOT A NEW COVER IMAGE! I was so excited to put this pic with this story, because I think it's way better now. It's Jaq's mask, in case you didn't know. Have a good day guys.**


	16. Chapter 12

**Here's the other half of this double update. This is probably the shortest chapter in this story. It's more a teaser for part of the sequel. That's why I didn't make you wait until next week for it.**

Tony

Ah, I love my lab. It's my brainstorming spot, my chill place, occasionally my bedroom, and my escape from the antics of my teammates. I am not a team player, and they really get on my nerves sometimes. Especially Jaq. That girl is far too hardcore for her age, and honestly, it annoys me that she had no childhood. And my annoyance makes me treat her like crap, so we fight. Then it all happens again.

I glance over at Bruce, who is working on…. Some science-y thing. I'm a genius, but I can't see his workspace very well from where I am, and the part I can see is unidentifiable at best.

Anywho, I'm just fixing a loose plate on the knee of my suit, when Pepper comes in. I haven't seen her all day. She went to work before I woke up, and stuff.

"Hey, Pep!" I grin.

"Hey, Tony." She responds. "Do you have a minute?"

"I always have a minute for you." I wiggle my eyebrows and she laughs.

"Don't start." She warns playfully. "I need a favor."

"Really?" I smirk.

"A business favor." She deadpans. My face falls.

" _Fine_." I sigh. "What do you need?"

"Stark Industries is having a gala in a few months, and I thought I'd give you a heads up." She says with a very fake smile.

"Why?" I grin. "You know I take these things as they come."

"Yes, I am aware of that. The reason I'm telling you is because I was hoping you could get the Avengers to attend?" She winces.

"A press attended thing?" I rake a hand through my hair. "That's gonna be tough, Pep."

"I know." She sighs. "It's for charity, if that helps."

"Yeah, sort of, I guess…" I huff. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." She says, turning to leave.

"Hey, aren't you gonna say I'm the best?" I say.

"You already know," she shrugs. "No need for me to rub it in."

"That's cold." I shake my head.

"Love you!" Pepper calls back. I laugh and drop into a chair. I rub my eyes.

"Brucie, how am I gonna get the Avengers to agree to a press gala?" I breathe.

"I don't know, Tony." Bruce says, and I can hear the smile in his voice, although he's trying to hide it. "It's on you."

 **Second chapter, done. Please review. And remember, big things happening next chapter!**

 **But before you go, I'd like to say, guys...I need you to help me out here. I was exploring the member features of FanFiction, and I saw that this story has gotten over a thousand views. I'm floored. I'm so grateful that you guys have bothered to read this fic, and I hope you're enjoying it; but I want to hear from you.**

 **I love to write, but I also love to hear what you thought of it. It only takes a second to hit the box down there, type up your thoughts, and click the review button. If only 10% of everyone who reads this fic reviews on it, that's still over a hundred reviews.**

 **I appreciate everyone who reviews and all my faithful readers. Thanks for reading.**


	17. AN 4

Sorry guys. This is NOT the new chapter. You will have to wait until Friday for that still.

This is, however, still VERY IMPORTANT! I am starting a drabble collection for this universe, and I am very much an advance writer. I need your drabble requests so that I can pre-write them. Winter Mist is almost over, and the drabble series is coming soon. I'm thinking that I'll have both random domestic or missions scenes along with actual plot arcs that you guys can suggest. Thank you in advance.

You can PM me your requests, or you can drop them in reviews (so I can feel popular. XD) I will also take guest reviews, but since I can't contact you, you'll have to take what you get.

You can request ship scenes, domestic scenes, mission scenes, whump...nearly anything short of character death.

Thanks guys. ;)


	18. Chapter 13

**Here it is! The chapter we've waiting on for 12 weeks! Things are only going downhill from here. Tragic, I know. This story is ending in maybe six more chapters. On the brighter side, I'm starting a drabble series for this story. So send in your prompts! Enjoy!**

Pietro

It is two months after the Ortiz mission before anything happens. In the meantime, the goings on at the Tower are achingly mundane. I ask Rosalinda out on a date; she says no. Our conversation literally went:

Me: Hello, Rosalinda.

Her: Don't give me your shit, Pietro.

Me: Wha- I didn't even say anything! Just listen, _before_ you write me off.

Her: I don't need to listen. I already know what you're going to say.

Me: No you don't!

Her: Yes, I do.

Me: I'm pretty sure that you don't.

Her: Oh, I'm very sure that I do.

Me: Whatever. Can you at least hear me out?

Her: Okay, fine. Yes, Pietro?

Me: Will you go out with me?

Her: Ha! I told you. No.

Disappointing. I'll wear her down eventually.

Wanda goes out for coffee with Viktore. I have no problem with that, since she could definitely do worse, but the thought of my baby sister dating is gross to me. Wanda and I hang out with Clint who, despite calling me a quick little bastard, has become almost like a second father to me. I can now think that about him without feeling like I'm betraying my parents. Bruce and Tony spend hours in Tony's workshop. Sam and Rhodey have gotten friendlier.

Vision has been consuming pop culture as frequently as possible, aided by the Captain (who despite being rumored to be incapable, metaphorically, of leading a blind man through a blizzard when it comes to pop culture; is surprisingly adept at picking out the good and not so good things to try. Trial and error perhaps…?)

Anyway, the point is, everything is so commonplace and mind-numbingly boring at this point, any mission that requires the whole team is greatly appreciated. According to the Captain, it's urgent, so we all pile into the common room.

"This is important, so listen up." He looks around the room. "This is a big mission. We'll be taking down an AIM base. It's the one that supplied the Extremis fighters for Hydra. AIM isn't the biggest thing ever, so this is also their core operating base."

"How many of us?" Viktore says grimly. Jaq spares him a glance, then turns back to the Captain.

"Well, the last mission we sent a fragment of our team, _some of us_ almost died." Natasha tosses Jaq and Viktore a condemning glance. Viktore looks away, and Jaq shrinks down in her seat, more sheepish than afraid.

"Anyway." Cap says, a warning in his tone. "We'll be sending a heavy hitting team this time."

"Well, whoo-hoo." Clint deadpans, picking at his cuticle. "Who's on the goon squad tonight, Steve?"

"It'll be Sam, Dante, Tony, Rhodey, Me, Nat, Jaq, Clint and Pietro." Cap says. At the close of his sentence, I see the hairs on the back of Viktore's neck nearly stand up. (Before today, I didn't know that could happen in real life…) His relationship with Jaq is a strange cross between sibling, confidant, lover, and bodyguard. I'm not sure which role takes precedence, but whichever one it is, protecting her is his number one priority.

"Just Jaq?" Viktore prods. "Who's covering her?"

"We all cover each other." Natasha assures him, he tone borderline dismissive. But Viktore isn't assured or dismissed.

"No." he insists doggedly. "What _Shadow_ is gonna cover her?"

"I'll be fine, Lukis." Jaq says softly. She is already suited up, leading me to believe that she knew about this. "I'll be back. Wait for me?"

"Always. Keep an open mind." Viktore grins faintly. It feels like a private moment, but nobody can look away. "Be careful?"

"Always." Jaq returns.

"Avengers." Cap says, cutting the silence. "Assemble. Suit up, and ship out."

Those of us going on the mission move to leave, but Viktore grabs me at the last minute.

"Watch out for her. I'd tell Cap, but you and Jaq are already close." He demands. "Don't let anything happen to her. I'll know."

"Alright." I nod. Something passes between us; respect.

I tie my shoes, say goodbye to Wanda, and join the Avengers in the jet. Tony 'flies' (FRIDAY flies) and later, we touch down in a deserted-looking, nondescript jungle. Vision and Bruce are our coms jockeys. We deplane, and move stealthily towards the base, but the fight finds us. In no time the fight is thick and fierce. I miss Wanda covering my right flank with her beams of energy.

I try to do as Viktore asked and look out for Jaq, but AIM gains their second wind and floods us. It happens in seconds. One minute she is covering the edge of the fight, shooting ice and bullets, and the next she is down. The shot isn't the typical *crack*, but more of a *fhhwhip* like a dart from a blowgun. It's not a bullet, it's a tranquilizer. AIM drugged her and got her out of there fast.

After Jaq is taken, we Avengers come down harder, but the opposition dries up, retreating. We blow up the base, (empty) and fly home. They left. They got what they wanted. Cap and Black Widow feel bad, I can tell; but I feel worse. They told Viktore that Jaq would be safe, but I was charged with it. Clint's eyes are glued to the floor and his bow is limp in his hand. Even Tony is silent. Dante is crushed. He had been talking to Jaq before this fight, mostly to find out more about Salina, but they became friends. Viktore is going to kill me.

We land the jet, and we trudge into the elevator. No sooner have I stepped off into the common room, than Viktore descends on me. How he already knew Jaq was gone is beyond me. No one contacted the Tower. He grabs my shirt front and slams me so hard into the wall next to the elevator doors, I feel my teeth chatter (if the wall was lower quality, it would've dented). His fist digs into my chest and I'm pretty sure there's a bruise there already.

"I told you to watch out for her!" He growls through clenched teeth. His face is red with fury. "She needs to have eyes on her at _all times_! She likes to clean up strays on the edge of the battlefield, and she **tends to forget** that people **_hate_** her! It leaves her open; I needed you to watch her!"

Then his anger is gone and his last words are cracked and quiet. He lets me go; collapsing against the wall he was slamming me on. He slides down the side of it and lands in a heap on the floor, burying his face in his hands.

"I should've been there to protect her. She needed me." He sighs brokenly to himself. "It's all my fault…"

"Viktore." Clint commands his attention. "Listen."

Viktore lifts his eyes, and they are wet with tears he'd never shed in a million years.

"We're gonna find her." Cap says. "Did Jaq have any connection to AIM?"

"No." He says thickly. Salina and Rosalinda charge down the stairs with Dante on their heels. The girls join him on the floor, one on either side. The three of them sit in the middle of the floor hugging each other. Salina has obviously been crying recently, while Rosalinda just looks _pissed_. She's actually pretty scary.

"We'll find her, Vik. Okay?" Salina's voice is cracked with emotion, but firm.

"Okay." Viktore takes a deep, shaky breath and lets it out. "Jaq hates AIM. She has no ties to them; she says they cut corners worse than Hydra. She calls them a bunch of hired thugs that couldn't find alternate employment."

"Is there anyone else?" Bruce asks.

"No." Viktore shrugs. "Anyone who hates her for a mission she's done would've just shot her. Anyone who wanted her back for Hydra would never have used AIM, and her handlers are all dead, so that only leaves…"

Viktore trails off and pales five shades. He looks like he's seen a ghost.

"Who?" Natasha asks.

"Maksim. Maksim Kharvoski." Viktore says in a haunted voice. "If he's got her…we've gotta get her back. Now."

"Why?" Wanda sounds vaguely panicked beside me. "Who is this man?"

"Maksim was a former guard of Jaq's, like twenty years ago. She was always terrified of him, so they made him her overseer." Viktore starts quietly. His tone of voice makes it sound like a fireside ghost tale. And in a way, it is. "Overseer was just a fancy name for 'the creepy guy who got to beat her to a pulp when she disobeyed'. He'd do awful things to her, and then tell her Hydra made him. He told her that he loved her, and that if she left with him she'd be safe. The guy was mental."

"What happened to her?" I ask.

"She was with the Winter Soldier." Viktore shrugs. "Hydra decided to try to breed a new generation of super soldiers…again. They'd done the same thing when Jaq was sixteen. But this time they wiped Jaq and Bucky and basically commanded them to mate."

"They tried to breed her **_twice_**?" Sam frowns. He had been hunting Bucky with Cap for a while, so he's familiar with _Zima Soldat_. "That's evil! They're people, not dogs."

"I know." Viktore finally focuses, snapping out of his trance. "Well, Hydra learned about what Maksim did to Jaq, so they fired him. Apparently they didn't want his DNA potentially messing with their prospective junior super soldiers."

"Wait, Khar-whatever-the-hell his name is **_raped_** her?" Tony glares at the thought. I guess he does care. He's getting harder to hate, now that we live here. Wanda feels it too.

"Yeah." Viktore says quietly. "Jaq thinks he had a mental problem all along. When he got fired, he wasn't angry at losing his job, he was angry that Hydra gave 'his snowflake' to another man; one that wasn't even human. Jaq said he kept screaming that as he was removed."

"They didn't kill him?" Clint frowns. "Hydra doesn't leave loose ends."

"No, he escaped." Viktore says flatly. Then he looks up at Cap. "I don't think you get it. Jaq is _terrified_ of him; more than nearly anything else from those days. She has nightmares about him, Cap. She hears his voice calling her name, she feels him beating her, brutalizing her, taking her for himself. She got shot by him. 'By accident' he insisted, but the guy's a sadist. If he's got his hands on Jaq…it could wreck her."

 **Dun dun dun! Evil sadist. I told you there'd be a plot twist. I'll be back next week. Drop a review, PM me, anything. See you next time.**


	19. Chapter 14

**Welcome back! Here we are again, straining for the next chapter in the epic saga of Winter Mist!**

 **Warnings for...I dunno. Sick ex-Hydra sadists. Enjoy!**

Jaq

I've been drugged. I can tell the second I come to. It's been a while, but you never forget the feeling. The last thing I remember was blacking out in the battle with AIM. I look down. I'm still wearing clothes. I've seen enough captures to know that's a good thing. I take a quick look around the room I wake up in. It's either a warehouse, or a gutted building. My head is pounding so hard I can feel it in my ears.

I raise a hand to my forehead…or try to. I'm strapped to what looks like a replica of _Zima_ 's mind wipe chair. I look up, but there's no bowl-shaped device hanging over my head, waiting to fry my brain.

I melt with relief. My relaxation is short lived, however, as the doorknob turns and the door cracks open. But the face that peeks through I thought I'd maybe never see again, and it fills me with joy.

" _Zima_!" I sigh happily. "Help me out of here, please!"

"Now why would I do that?" He replies slowly. I am instantly on guard. It looks like _Zima_ , down to the jacket, pulled back hair, and glove, but his voice is distorted. It's not his mind-wipe voice. It sound pre-recorded; pixelated. It's not him. Upon further inspection, the body is wrong too. Zima is taller and leaner, and his shoulders are broader.

"Who are you?" I say warily.

"Why, Winter Soldier, of course." The stranger says. It's disconcerting, these words coming from _Zima_ , but I'm sure it's not him now. He's **never** referred to himself as 'Winter Soldier'. It was always _Zima Soldat_ , or 'The Winter Soldier' or the Asset. Or nothing at all. Hydra didn't program arrogance into a simple weapon.

"No, you're not." I say firmly. I'm starting to get angry.

"You're right." The stranger sighs and pulls off the nanomask, revealing his true face. I jerk back involuntarily, my body providing a visceral reaction to the man's appearance. "Did you miss me, my snowflake?"

"No." I say angrily. "Let me go."

"Now why would I do that? I have you where I've always wanted you. With me." Maksim says with a sick grin on his face.

"I think you should let me go. I'm an Avenger now, you know." I say, fighting against the impending shake of my voice.

"I'm not worried, snowflake." Maksim starts.

"Don't call me that." I snap.

"I'm going to enjoy this." He continues, ignoring me. He comes over, shedding the jacket and glove. He leaves them strewn on the floor. He is in front of me now; so close I can count the shades of green in his eyes. He grins and I feel him breathe on my face.

It takes everything in me not to vomit on him right here. His presence is physically sickening.

"What do you want?" I grind out.

"You." He grins again, and I see just how he has aged. "You look just as beautiful as you did twenty years ago."

"You look old." I snark. He slaps me across the face so hard my face snaps to the side, then strokes my cheek. I think I preferred the slap.

"Oh, my snowflake." He croons. "Looks deceive. I may look older, but I am still a strong and healthy man."

His attitude is so pretentious that I gag, twisting my head away from his hand. He grabs my face, his fingers biting into my jaw. He comes up onto the chair and kisses me forcefully. I grunt and buck, my booted foot hitting him in the crotch. He pulls back and growls quietly. I follow up with a head-butt that catches him in his lip. His face turns red with suppressed pain and a vein in his temple throbs as he clutches his face.

The head-but was probably a bad idea so soon after being drugged. My head is still swimming so badly, I don't even see the fist coming. I feel a stab of pain in my eye, followed by what feels like a hailstorm on my face. When Maksim finally stops hitting me, he steps back panting and wipes the blood from his lip. Blood I drew.

"I'll be back later, snowflake." He gasps. "Perhaps we'll both be in better moods then, hmm?"

I don't answer, and Maksim slams the door on his way out. If he thought I was going down easy, he's got another thing coming. I won't yield.

I pray someone finds me.

 **Ohhhhh... I'll see you guys next week.**

 **Before I forget though, welcome to any new readers!**

 **I'm starting a drabble series for this story and it'll be going up as soon as this story ends, so send in your requests! I'll write anything. I've only got two requests so far, so I've got plenty of room. I'm also thinking about writing a sequel later, and I've got an excerpt from it that I'm working on.**

 **Drop a review, PM me, anything. Peace.**


	20. Chapter 15

**Another unidentified third-person POV. I hope you guys have guessed who this is by now. Also: a special guest! I bet you guys can't guess** ** _that_** **one! (Evil laugh) Anywho, enjoy!**

Unidentified third-person

He doesn't have time for this. He hopes that whatever reason his searching was interrupted for is important.

"What's going on?" He asks the informant. "This better be good."

"It's important." The informant, a shorter man with a receding hairline, says. The informant hands him a paper file. "This is the information you asked me to find about the girl."

"She's not just a girl!" He snaps and pounds the table so hard the informant's coffee jumps. (He feels something; not in his hand, but in his heart. There is a touch of glee over his feelings for her, along with a touch of guilt over scaring his always-helpful informant.)

"What's in the file?" He says, quieter. It is both an invitation to continue and an apology.

"My apologies." The informant says nonchalantly, drinking some of his coffee, which miraculously fell exactly back into the cup. "It's her personal information."

He scans the top page quickly, picking out the important information; a skill acquired from years of reading mission briefings efficiently. He brushes his fingers over the picture clipped to the top. It is a picture of a sad-looking little girl, clutching a white piece of cloth. He remembers, fleetingly, her looking this way. The picture must have been taken when she arrived. He reads her name.

"Angela." He says it reverently. "And the other news?"

"It's about her." The informant says seriously. "She's been taken."

"Taken?!" He says with more than a touch of panic. "Taken where?"

"She was kidnapped out of the field." The informant looks down solemnly, then meets his eyes.

"Who's got her?" He growls, squeezing the edge of the metal table so hard, it dents in the shape if his fingers.

"One, Maksim Kharvoski." The informant says, shuffling through his papers.

"Kharvoski?" He echoes, ghostly quiet. He stands. "Where?"

"Brussels." The informant replies. "He's in a warehouse he built in the woods."

"I have to get to her." He says, more to himself. He looks at the informant. "Thank you."

"No problem." The informant smiles kindly. For such a 'scary man' his client is more a frightened young man, with years beyond his age. "Be careful."

"I will." He says, then he is gone. As he leaves, a glint of light bounces off his forearm and into the informant's face.

"I need to learn how to do that." The informant blinks, sipping his coffee and flexing his own hand, metal up to the wrist. "Saves _so much ammunition,_ just blinding people…"

 **I know this is a short one, which is why we have a second one right after! That's right folks...DOUBLE UPDATE! Please drop a review, follow, fave, PM me; whatever.**


	21. Chapter 16

**This isn't the longest chapter either, but I posted both at the same time because that's when they happen. That's right. While the Unidentified third-person (*** ** _Bucky_** *** cough, cough. Oh, come on! Did you really not see that coming?) and his ever helpful Informant (Oh, no; no hints today. You're really gonna have to guess that one...) are commiserating, our intrepid hero's best friend is having some feely moments. Please enjoy, because this is the most emotion seen from Mr. Volkov this whole story.**

Luk

"Any progress?" I ask hopefully. It's been a week already, and there are no leads.

"Nothing." Rhodes says. "Sorry, kid."

"It's alright." I huff. "You guys are doing your best."

I leave the hangar and wander down to the common kitchen. I lean against the counter and let my head hang, fighting back tears. Men don't cry, my father said. I still can't make him proud even though he's dead. I bite my lip as tears drip down my face, cursing my weakness. Jaq doesn't need me sobbing into a cutting board, I tell myself. She needs me strong and brave; manning up and helping with the search.

But just the thought of her in the clutches of an obsessive psychopath is too much. I touch my forehead to my arm on the counter and sob. My throat is closing, my breath hitches, and my back starts to hurt. I've never cried before, I didn't know that it hurt like this. I didn't know that on top of your head pounding like you're having a stroke and your heart feeling like it's being shredded, your body also disobeys you.

I didn't know that your muscles tense up and your eyes spout liquid like they're supplying a fountain. I didn't know that your face gets hot, and your body gets cold. I didn't know that you feel like you're being frozen and melted; pulled and pushed; lifted and dropped, all at the same time. I didn't know that it feels like you have no tears left to cry, but at the same time like you have far too many.

I didn't know.

I didn't know any of this, but it doesn't really matter. No one could've warned me anyway. You have to experience this pain, because it doesn't hurt like a gunshot, or a stab. It aches like a piece of your soul is gone. That's how it feels to have Jaq missing. I weep silently into my sleeve like a baby. Then a hand rubs slowly back and forth over my upper back.

The hand is small and light. I want to look up and see who it is, but I am ashamed to have been caught crying so hard. Will my comforter think me weak? It's not 'Lina, there's no wing shadow; and it's not Roe, she'd have said something by now.

I wipe my eyes on my sleeve and straighten, my joints popping uncomfortably. I turn my head, expecting…I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't Wanda standing there looking at me. I don't see disgust in her eyes, or pity. Instead there's…understanding.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I say. My voice is thick and scratchy. I clear my throat gently, and my speech frees up a little.

"Can't I comfort someone I care for?" She asks. It appears to be a rhetorical question, because she moves on swiftly, her voice softening. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you." I say quickly. I move to leave, but I pause. "Why did you stay?"

"What?" She is startled.

"I heard you walk past." I shrug. "You weren't coming here originally. Why'd you stay?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." She blushes.

"Thank you." I say. I step closer to her. "Seriously."

"You are welcome." She says.

"You could've left but you stayed." I say softly. "That means a lot."

"You are strong. Stronger than you know." She whispers. Then she steps back. "Goodbye, Viktore."

"Goodbye." I say, and she leaves. I stand there for a second thinking. I've long since figured out why she understands my tears. She almost lost her brother. They don't speak of it, and the two of them are closer than ever, but I know she cried when Pietro was in the hospital.

I stand and look after her. I never like my first name so much as when Wanda says it. That is the first time I cry, but not the last. I am still strong.

 **I'll see you next week. (So will Jaq...hint, hint) Thank you for reading. :)**

 **Also, please send in your prompts! We only have three more chapters until the end of this story, and I am planning a tentative sequel at the beginning of June. In the meantime, if you want more of these characters, I'll be starting a oneshot series for them. I WILL WRITE ANYTHING! (Except character death. Whump: yes. Death: no.) I have two prompts so far and they're already written, so I have plenty of space and plenty of time. I'm also inserting interludes with mini plot arcs that I come up with alongside your requests.**

 **You can request a team story or any of the established pairings:**

 **Jaq/Bucky**

 **Pietro/Rosalinda (Nina)**

 **Dante(Jak)/Salina(Alex)**

 **Tony/Pepper**

 **Steve/Natasha**

 **Viktore(Luk)/Wanda**

 **Thor/Jane**

 **Clint/Laura (yes, this story features domestic!Clint. That I hope to address in the sequel, along with Loki...)**

 **And if you like, I can make other OCs for the rest of the team, and/or bring in other people from the MCU (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Deadpool, and the like.) I'll take prompts as PM's or reviews.**

 **Thank you for reading this ridiculously long A/N. Next week, we'll see how Jaq's doing in captivity (Not good, bruh. Not good.)**

 **Bye!**


	22. Chapter 17

**I am so sorry for the lateness. I wasn't connected to the internet yesterday, so I didn't get the chance to update. That being said, there are trigger warnings in this chapter for rape. I don't write this kind of thing descriptively, but I do detail Jaq's feelings which in a way is worse. So if rape is your thing, skip to the bottom and read the other A/N.**

 **Everyone else; read, review, and empathise, why don't you.**

Jaq

It is a long two weeks. After the first day, Maksim leaves me for five days without food. By the end of the time, when he comes back, I am weak and tired. I fight as hard as I can, even though I am hungry and tied up. But I lose. Maksim beats me up, takes his pleasure and leaves me quivering on the floor with only a thin, ragged towel tossed over me. He takes the chair back with him. But he leaves some bread, stale moldy bread, on the opposite side of the room.

The crawl to the food is another sort of torture in itself. I am too weak and sore to do much more than drag myself across the room, trying to ignore the nagging pain between my legs, and the unfinished wood floor fills my already aggravated wounds with splinters. I go as fast as I can, trying to reach the bread before rats do. I make it to the food and eat slowly, then curl up in the corner, praying I can go unseen next time.

No such luck. When Maksim returns two days later, and repeats the process, he bashes my head so hard against the wall, it dents. The wall, that is. The wall dents, but my head bleeds. My vision swims and my stomach lurches, but I manage to eat that night also.

His arrivals happen three more times the second week, each more degrading than the last, and I have had enough. Last time he came, he left me an old raggedy shirt and cut off my hair. I am microscopically stronger now. Next time he comes at me, I'll freeze off his favorite appendage. Or so I tell myself.

He comes in the front door.

"Snowflake?" He calls in an odd (odd-er than usual, I suppose) tone of voice. "I need to speak with you."

I stay silent, hoping to get the jump on him, but he is ready. He spins as I leap at him, and grabs me by my head.

"What did you think you were doing?" He snarls, shaking me. My scalp prickles horribly, because he's holding me off the ground, with just a fistful of what's left of my hair. I stretch as far as I can, but I can only just brush the floor with the tip of my foot; I'm not tall enough to take the pressure off my burning head. Before I can stop it, a gasp of pain escapes as he shakes me again.

That must have been what he was waiting on, because he smiles and lowers me down, patting my head gently. I am ashamed to have shown such weakness, and I think that's what bothers me most; his brutality followed by fake caring. It's disgusting. "I ran into a friend of yours on the street. He called himself Jak and said he was looking for someone who looked like you. How did he know to look here, snowflake?"

He grabs my throat and lifts me, slamming me into the wall. I dangle there, a foot above the ground.

"I don't know." I choke out, clawing at his hard hands. My vision is going black. I can't breathe and the panic brings tears to my eyes. He drops me then, kicking me away. I pant heavily on the floor, trying to find my first wind. (Screw the second wind; I gotta get this one first.) Maksim grins widely and I scoot away from him. He advances slowly, menacingly. He jerks me up by my arm and handcuffs me to the far wall. Oh no.

He strips slowly, perhaps enjoying my dread. He grins again and has his way with me. I squeeze my eyes shut and focus on being silent and unresponsive. He's already winning; I won't give him the added pleasure of screaming to him. It seems to last forever, and I'm in nothing but a shirt. Good thing he's too lazy to take it off. It ends finally, and I open one eye. Maksim is leaning back on the wood floor sated; but it looks like he'll be ready in a few seconds to go again.

I despair inwardly at the thought of having to endure this for another two weeks. But then it happens; one moment Maksim is leaning over me, trying to start his part two. The next moment, he is across the room, being brutally beaten. He is ground mercilessly into the floor by none other than _Zima_. And it's really him this time.

 _Zima_ shoots Maksim with two bullets; one in each knee. Evidently he's supposed to be taken in. Either way, that sick man will never walk again. _Zima_ finishes and comes over to me, his face showing the most expression I've ever seen on his face. I am grateful for how he tactfully ignores the flinch triggered by his approach. He rips my cuffs right off the wall, then breaks each cold circle right in half with his metal arm.

It feels like a dream; this escape. It feels like I'll wake back up, and Maksim will be calling me snowflake and kicking me around again. I don't realize I'm crying until _Zima_ gently brushes a tear from my cheek with his flesh hand.

"I'm here." He says. "Angela."

That word alone brings back a flood of childhood memories, and I weep harder. Hydra made me forget my own name. _Zima_ doesn't say anything else. He just sheds his jacket and wraps me up in it. He lifts me, holding me securely in one arm; and with his metal arm, he grabs Maksim by the legs and drags him out of the warehouse into the woods where a jet waits. He tosses an unconscious Maksim in the back, chaining him to a chair, and puts me in the co-pilot's seat. He raises the hatch in the back and sits in the pilot's chair. He starts the jet, and we're soon up in the air. I fall asleep almost instantly.

 **Aaand reunion! You're welcome. Now this is not to say that Jaq is weak, just that it would take something like this to bring Bucky back. Sad, I know. But he believes that she's safer without him. We'll get to that later.**

 **Follow, review, and all that stuff. Only two chapters left! So any prompts for the oneshot/drabble collection need to start coming in so that I can write them on time. Also, later on, I'm gonna be doing a five and one for this. It's gonna be awesome, but I think I'm gonna save it for after Days in Shadow is off the ground.**

 **Have a nice day. And I'll see you next week. Peace.**


	23. Chapter 18

**Here is your new dose of Winter Mist! It's the Shadow's reunion, long overdue. I thought I'd take this time to specify that Winter Mist is my ship name for Jaq and Bucky.** Winter **Soldier +** Mist **= Winter Mist**

 **See?**

Nina

The trail has gone cold on Jaq and tempers are short. Luk is less snippy, but he's always in the gym now. He's busted almost all of Cap's punching bags. It's another day of sitting around, praying someone will find something, when FRIDAY's voice pipes up in her thick brogue.

"There's an unidentified jet in the hangar, boss." The AI says.

"Oh, really?" Tony sounds more intrigued than disturbed.

"Yes, boss. The occupants are in the elevator to your current floor. They'll be in the common room in less than ten seconds."

"Are they hostiles?" Tony asks.

"No, boss. One was an overprotective male. He seemed kinda spooked by my voice." The AI replies amicably. "The other was a female. She appeared to be unconscious."

"Well, I guess we'll see, won't we?" Tony says. It's me, Cap, Him and Vik in here. But Vik looks about on the edge of bolting. Just then, the elevator slides open and a tall man steps out. He is muscular and blank-faced. His long, dark hair is pulled back and one of his hands is metal. More curious is the girl he carries. She is small and slight. She looks like she has been starving and seen hard times. Her hair is cut short, her face is lacerated and she has quite a few obvious bruises.

But her face…It's; Jaq?!

Vik stands swiftly, but Cap's mouth just hangs open.

"Bucky?" Cap whispers.

"Hey, Steve." The man says quietly, taking in the room like an assassin; looking at everyone without actually making eye contact. It's the Winter Soldier. Jaq's man. Speaking of Jaq, her eyes flutter open and she gazes numbly at the other five people in the room.

"Luk?" She croaks.

"Hey, Jaq." Vik says softly. He looks so relieved, and happy that even Jaq, tired as she must be, cracks a smile. Everything is fine now, and the Shadows are whole again, but then Vik steps closer to Jaq and her eyes widen and glaze over. She bucks away violently, so hard that the Winter Soldier sways, trying to keep a hold on her. Vik steps back again, tying to give her space, but the damage is done. He looks hurt, and Jaq is hyperventilating, pupils blown wide in panic over something only she can see.

The Winter Soldier huffs and curses under his breath. Tony opens his mouth, perhaps to make a language crack, but Winter Soldier cuts him a sharp glare and Tony's mouth snaps shut. Winter Soldier goes around the couch and lays Jaq down on it. She is calmer now, only shaking and staring into space. Winter Soldier turns to go, perhaps to get a chair, perhaps out of Jaq's life; but her hand shoots out, she grabs his shirt hem, and pulls back.

"Stay." She chokes, and her voice cracks around the word. She's barely holding back tears.

"Of course." He says quietly.

"No." She swallows hard, and it looks painful. "For real. Stay."

"I will, I promise." He insists, and she closes her eyes with a small nod. "This time, I won't go away."

"Good." She breathes, and her hand slackens around his shirttail. She is asleep. Winter Soldier blows a breath through his nose and sits down on the floor by the couch, where Jaq can reach him easily.

She is safe, and we're all together again. We're good.

 **Aww! Feels. I only have two requests for the collection at this point, so start sending them in. I'm running out of time to pre-write. Because...Next chapter is the LAST IN THIS STORY! Repeat: next chapter marks the end of Winter Mist! It also marks the beginning of Days In Shadow. That will be your hold-over until the sequel is ready. So please request what you wanna see. You can suggest plots for the upcoming sequel.**

 **Thank you for sticking around until now. See you next week!**


	24. Chapter 19

**This is the last chapter of Winter Mist! Please, read review and enjoy.**

Bucky

It physically pains me to sit here. I am hypervigilant, trying not to explode over every noise and movement from the Avengers who just flooded the room. They fuss over Angela and give me side eyes. Suspicious eyes. They're afraid; if not of me, then for her.

I must be tense, because she slides her hand up my neck and into my hair. She scratches my scalp lightly, and I relax a little after they leave. Until Tony speaks. I remember reading about me and Steve's friendship with Howard. He and his son are alike, except Tony has done nothing for me to balance out his asshole-yness.

"Are you staying, Buck?" Steve asks hopefully. It takes me a second to realize that he's addressing me.

"Yeah." I say, wincing at the roughness of my voice. "I'm staying, Steve."

"Yeah," Tony laughs. "Hate to break it to you, buddy, but there's no way I'm letting an international assassin stay in my tower."

"Too late for that, Stark." Angela mutters behind me.

"Not you, Foggy." Tony grins. "I mean your boyfriend."

"Sexist too?" She snorts. "That's nice."

"Okay then, your international assassin boyfriend who killed my parents." Tony snaps. He's not laughing anymore.

"Really?" Angela sighs. She's tired. She should be asleep, not arguing with Tony.

"Yeah." Tony returns bitterly. "My old man was a distant jerk with delusions of grandeur, but he didn't deserve to die."

"The Winter Soldier killed your parents." Angela asks. But she sounds bored. It's not really a question.

"Yes." Tony grinds out. "I read the leaked Hydra files. I know the accident was staged!"

"Was I in those files?" Angela sits up slowly, with a wince and a hiss. The tall, bearish man across the room looks alarmed and she smiles disarmingly at him. My chest tightens a bit.

"No." Tony says slowly. "So what? They probably made those files before you joined."

"I was given to Hydra before the man who created the internet was born." Angela smirks angrily, and I chuckle. "I wouldn't have been left out of those files. Especially not if the Winter Soldier was in them."

"Your point?" Tony huffs.

"My point is that parts of those files were fabricated. Mostly the parts that involved me." She looks down, then back up.

"James didn't kill your parents, Tony," I flinch at the use of my real name, "I did."

"What?" He breathes.

"His arm was being repaired." Angela says quietly. "I never knew…but they were the first kill I felt remorse for. They didn't deserve to die."

"You monster." Stark chokes. "I wish you'd never come here. I wish you were rotting in jail where you belong!"

"I'm sorry." She whispers. I clench my fist and the plates in my arm whir as the artificial muscles flex.

"Go to hell." Stark spits. "Bitch."

Everyone left in the room looks shocked. Angela's friends, Steve, and the Maximoffs. I knew them; the Maximoffs, I mean. Tony stomps out, but there is nothing left except silence. I pick Angela up and sit on the couch with her legs across my lap. She is silent, and her face is blanker than mine. I wonder if I disturb people like she is disturbing me.

"Where are you staying?" The bearish man, Viktore, asks me. His voice shatters the tense silence.

"I don't know." I shrug. I feel like Tony doesn't want me here.

 _He doesn't want_ _ **me**_ _here._ Angela says in my mind. I'd forgotten she could do that.

 _I'm not leaving you._ I return. _And if he tries to kick you out, I'll hurt him._

 _I thought we were over that?_ She thinks, and I can feel her smile, even though she's still impassive.

 _We're never over that._ I grin back mentally. This is how we used to communicate things that we didn't want Hydra to hear in our cell. Declarations of love, promises, feelings, insulting things about our handlers. Things like that. Perhaps we should have communicated our escape plans this way too. Maybe we would be somewhere else, living peacefully and secretly.

"You can stay on the floor above ours." Viktore says. His voice jars me.

"That sounds good." I nod. "Thank you."

"No problem." Viktore says. "Here. I'll show you the room, let you get settled in."

"Alright." I say. I maneuver myself off of the couch, and follow Viktore upstairs.

I don't know where my life is going, and I don't know how it's going to end, but I know that the first chapter started today. And I like the story so far.

The End

 **Ta-da! Now, after this chapter is a sneak peek at the sequel. I'll be putting that up in June-ish. The first story in the Days in Shadow collection is up as well. Please request what you want to see.**


	25. Chapter 20

**Here's the sneak peek. Enjoy it. I want to thank everyone who's read Winter Mist. You guys are gold. I love every review, follow and fave. Please enjoy this.**

Jaq

I am walking down to James' room when I nearly crash into Steve.

"I'm sorry." I say. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Hm." Steve says. He sounds distracted, but when I look up, he's studying me.

"What?" I frown.

"Bucky was made the Winter Soldier in '45." Steve frowns just the faintest bit. "When were you born?"

"Is that important?" I grin, but inside I'm quaking.

"Yes." Steve's voice is iron.

"'42." I breathe. "I was born in 1942. I was brought into Hydra in 1950."

"Jaq." Steve sighs. "Why didn't you say so? Here I am thinking you're no more than thirty, and you're seventy-three?"

"Yeah." I say quietly, then glare up at him. "No one knows, so don't tell them."

"Does Buck know?" Steve's brow creases.

"I don't think it's clicked yet." I sigh. "His perception of time was ruined. I'm sure eventually he'll realize that if I was always with him, it would've been quite a while."

"I hope so." Steve's face is filled with so much pity I have to look away. It physically sickens me. "I'm sorry, Jaq."

"What for?" I frown. "You didn't force me into Hydra."

"I know, but-" Steve starts.

"But nothing." I cut him off. "Not a word. To anyone, even James. He does better when he figures these things out himself."

There is a brief, but tense moment of silence as I stare him down.

"Alright. " Steve says quietly.

"Good." I say. "I have to go."

"Alright." Steve says again, stepping to the side. I walk off, breathing slowly to calm my heart rate. That could've gone worse. Frankly I'm surprised no one called me on my age earlier. I guess I'm glad they didn't though. If it hadn't been Steve, I would've hurt them.

Somehow though, I don't think Steve asked out of curiosity. I could practically feel his itch to ask me about all that's happened to James since they've been apart. And unfortunately, I don't think that this is the end of that discussion. Though I hate to say it, that scares me more than I'd like to admit.

 **Dun dun duuuuuuunnnnn!**

 **Bye!**


End file.
